Lethal Whispers, ML AU
by Max and Liz believer
Summary: Elizabeth Parker was special. Strange things had happened to her during her childhood, but she had repressed them all to a state of denial. It was all safely tucked away until someday something happened, and she found herself in deep danger...
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

**Title: Lethal Whispers ****  
Author:** Max and Liz believer, a.k.a. Josephin   
**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of the Roswell characters. I'm just borrowing them for a short while.   
**Category:** M/L, AU   
**Rating:** R   
**Summary:** Forget everything that has happened on the show. This is an alternate universe fic. However, there are still extraterrestrials in the picture. Elizabeth Parker was special. Strange things had happened to her during her childhood, but she had repressed them all to a state of denial. It was all safely tucked away until someday something happened, and she found herself in deep danger...    
**Author's note:** Okay guys... feedback, please! It's what keeps my blood pumping and my fingers typing :-)

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**Prologue**   
  
The rain was pouring down. The sky was black, the clouds heavy with raindrops. The clouds had finally found their relief, drowning the scenery below in water. The water was streaming down the streets, creating runnels that carried traces of nature. Leaves, dirt, twigs, dead bugs. An immense amount of insects took their last breath that day. The heavy raindrops fell on their wings, immobilizing their movements. The clattering of the rain was the only sound to be heard in the darkness of the night. The wind was still, having withdrawn from the forceful downfall of the rain. The light from the lanterns lining the streets glowed faintly, its light doing little to penetrate the heavy darkness. The light inside the houses looked warm and comforting in direct contrast to the hostile environment outside. The inhabitants of the houses stayed inside. Inside the buildings there was life. Inside the houses, the outside could be ignored. Forgotten.   
  
Through the mist a stubby figure appeared. The worn shoes were repeatedly lowered into the cold water, as the figure made its way in a hurried manner down the desolated streets. Its movements were hasty, as if competing against the hands of time. The figure came to halt in front of one of the houses. The balmy light shone in the windows. It was the right place. It radiated with love. However, the inhabitants of that special house had a deep longing for something. One thing that would make their lives complete.   
  
The figure hunched in the rain, and pulled off the cloth that had hindered the rain from reaching the surface of the skin. In the hook of the figure's arm, laid a small bundle. The bundle was now lowered to the doorstep to that special house. The house that had been chosen. The cloth was spread over the bundle, to prevent the menacing rain from reaching the precious bundle. With a hard knock on the door, the figure vanished into the night.   
  
  
  
**Chapter 1**   
  
_Changes is hanging in the air. Danger is creeping closer. Be aware._   
  
  
She stood staring out the window. The rain was pelting down. Would it ever cease? It had been raining for days. She didn't like rain. Many considered it to be a relief. Something that brought a change, that washed away everything old. She didn't like changes. She liked things to stay the way they were. To her, rain meant a gray sky. It meant sadness. It meant lack of color, of everything that made a day bright. Rain always made her senses run overdrive. There were smells all around her. Smells that normally went her unnoticed, but which during rainy days burned the inside of her nostrils. The sounds were louder. The buzzing of a mosquito could drive her nuts, its buzzing growing to something similar to the sound of a helicopter. She followed the drops as they run down the window pane, and for not the first time she wonder why she still lived in New York City. There was too much rain in New York. She should live in a place where drought had the leading role. She would thrive there. But something made her stay in New York.   
  
She took a deep breath, and pulled up the umbrella, mentally preparing herself for going outside. She really didn't want to. It felt like the rain was mugging her. It didn't like her and the feelings were mutual. She opened the door and the moist cold air hit her in the face. She pushed away her feelings of distress. It was only rain, for Christ's sake! She tried to smile at her own stupidity, but she couldn't quite shake her feelings of unease. Something was wrong today and it wasn't just due to the rain. She started walking down the street. It was dark. The hands of her watch informed her that it was after eleven p.m. She really shouldn't be out at this hour. Not alone. Not in New York City. Not in the rain. She pulled the raincoat closer around her body, and her pace automatically quickened. She was not too far away from her apartment. She would soon be home. Home. Where she could light candles and make herself some tea. Then she could curl up under a blanket and read a book. She loved books. They presented her with an opportunity to flee to another world. An imaginary world. She could become the characters of the book. She could live their lives. They were her, she was them. It was her escape, her haven.   
  
With her thoughts deep in a place where love was eternal, soulmates existed, and the harsh terrible reality didn't, she failed to notice the dark figure that was slowly following behind her. His movements were graceful, like the movements of a cat. He stayed in the shadows, effectively hiding himself from her line of vision. However, that was not necessary. Her mind was already in some other place and she barely registered what was going on around her. She momentarily jumped out of her reverie as thunder ripped through the silence. Shortly thereafter, lightning illuminated the street. But it also ripped her follower from his disguise, and she quickly turned her head towards what she had seen from the corner of her eye. But the lightning was over, and the figure had disappeared into the darkness. An icy chill ran down her spine, and she shivered. While her eyes nervously darted around her surroundings, she quickened her pace some more, turning into half running. She longed for her home. She wanted to be at home now. She silently cursed herself for going out tonight. She shouldn't have stayed so long at her work. She shouldn't have worked late. She should have bought a car, so that she didn't have to walk. If she made it home alive – without any incidents – she was never, _never_ going to do the same mistake again. No, not _if_ she made it home. _When_. She was being ridiculous. She always became antsy when it rained and her mind was playing tricks on her. She had probably just seen a cat, or it had just been a shadow. There wasn't anyone following her. But still she couldn't stop her mind from making up all the things that could happen to a young woman in the middle of the night in a big city as New York. She could get robbed, she could get raped. She could even get killed.   
  
No! Stop it! She tried to shake off the thoughts and turned left into a nearby alley. One small part of her mind, the part that was not yet paralyzed with fear and panic, tried to tell her that it was never a good idea to take short-cuts through dark and desolate alleys in the middle of the night. But she was too agitated to notice. She wanted to get home, and the way through the alley was the closest way. She quickly turned around as she thought she heard footsteps behind her. Her eyes quickly darted over the empty alley. She was alone. Her breathing was raspy, her heart was slamming against her ribs. This wasn't happening. It was all just an evil dream. It was just her imagination. She took two quick breaths, before she turned around again to continue her walk home.   
  
Before she could react, she was trapped. Strange hands were on her face, covering her mouth and eyes. She couldn't see, she couldn't speak. She could only whimper as she felt herself being dragged along the alley. She could not move, her captor was too strong. She felt his hot breath against her cheek and then she heard his voice.   
  


"Don't say anything." 

But the voice wasn't menacing or hostile as she had anticipated it to be. It was soft and low. If her heart hadn't been slamming in her chest, if she hadn't tasted bile in her throat, she would have been calmed by that voice. But she wasn't. She was scared to death, and her survival instinct had kicked in. She kicked her leg backwards, connecting with the small of his leg. She heard him inhale sharply, but his grip on her didn't lessen.   
  


"I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "I need you to listen to me."   
  


She was still struggling, desperately trying to escape him. She wasn't going to get raped without a fight. She wasn't going to die without a struggle. This was _her_ life and she wanted to be able to decide over it for herself. She had always been in control. Now she found herself trapped in a uncontrollable state, and she hated it. It made her weak and she didn't like being weak.   
  


"If I remove my hands, will you promise not to scream?" the voice asked.   
  


Like hell she would! She would take first best chance at running away from him, and then she would start screaming. The whole world would be able to hear her scream. He would be too afraid to risk exposure to go after her and she would be free.   
  
She nodded.   
  


"Thank you," he said and slowly removed his hands. She was quickly out of his arms as soon as his grip on her lessened and she started running, without looking back. Somehow she lost control over her feet, and she tumbled to the ground, having nothing to support her fall. She landed hard, her chest slamming into the hard ground. She felt his arms on her, trying to lift her from the ground. She made her body limb, making herself heavy and difficult to move. She had her eyes close. She didn't want to see him. If she ever made it out of this alive, she didn't want a face to haunt her dreams and her thoughts for the rest of her life. Her mind told her that it was stupid not to look at his face, because she wouldn't be able to describe him to the police. But she wasn't like other people, and she was still looking for some sort of control to hang on to in order to not completely lost sight of what was happening. If she could at least control her eyes, she wasn't as weak as her perpetrator wanted her to be.   
  


"What do you want?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.   
  


"I'm not here to hurt you," he said again. She frowned. Was that regret she heard in his voice? Her senses were still running overdrive, and with her eyes closed she could more thoroughly focus on his voice. She could interpret all the different keys of his voice, every different note.   
  


"You already have," she said. "Please let me go."   
  


She hated to beg. But she also wanted to live.   
  


"I'm here to warn you," he said.   
  


The thudding of her heart that was thundering in her ears somewhat decreased in intensity and volume.   
  
"What?" she asked, confusion now mixed with her fear.   
  


"Something bad is going to happen to you."   
  


Was he threatening her? She couldn't tell. His words told her that he was threatening her, but his voice was sad. Strained. She was starting to doubt that this was a regular rapist or robber.   
  


"What is going to happen to me?" she asked. She was a little surprised that she still could get her mind to form a coherent thought, even more that she was able to voice it.   
  


"I don't know," he said, and once again he sounded regretful...or guilty.   
  


"Okay..." she said, still clutching her eyes close. Her body had started to relax, the feelings of unease had started to leave her. Instead she had started to wonder if she was going insane. If this really was just a dream. Perhaps she was really trapped in a mental hospital and this was just one of her make up realities. Soon there would probably land a space ship in front of her, and the man in front of her, holding her in an iron grip, would be beamed up into the spaceship. Pink bunnies would probably start dancing around her soon. She plummeted back down into the rainy, gray reality at the sound of his voice.   
  


"I only know that something is about to happen to you. I had to warn you. You better get home. I saw it happen outside. You'll be safe inside. Go home."   
  


Okay, this was really weird. She slowly opened her eyes and focused her vision on the man in front of her. He was dark as the darkness around him. His hair was black, his skin was gray, his clothes were dark. If it wasn't for his eyes, he would have made a perfect robber. But it was the eyes that defined him. It was the eyes that revealed the true him. She found herself being almost hypnotized by those eyes, as she tried to read him. However, at the same time as his eyes were the most readable feature on his face, they didn't tell her anything. They did, nevertheless, give her a sense of calmness. A sense of rightness.   
  
Her staring seemed to make him uncomfortable and she could feel the grip of his hands on her arms lessen. Her mind and body reacted like a prisoner being released from a repressed captivity. She quickly pulled herself out of his grip and got her legs moving. She ran down the alley, expecting to feel his hands on her back any time. But then she was standing in front of the door to the stair well of her apartment complex, her breathing labored and her clothes soaked, clinging to her body. With fear still an evident and decisive part of her body and movements, she slowly turned around and eyed the street behind her. There was no one there. She was alone, and she was home.   
  


  
TBC...  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**   
  
Elizabeth Parker was beautiful. In every sense of the word. She had dark hair, waving down her back to her waist. Her skin was rich with color and life, her body petite yet graceful. She had big eyes, deep brown, which held a depth that had bewitched many. She was aware of her beauty, but she didn't let it rule her life. She was brought up in a loving home as an only child. Her parents loved her, cherished her and adored her. They saw her as a blessing, a gift sent from God. Even though she had been loved, she had not been spoiled. She was raised in a simple home, where money was not a certainty. Ever since she had been old enough to understand, she had been taught to be humble and modest. Her mother taught her to be grateful for every small thing in life. Her mother also taught her to always try to see the good in people. Every person had something good inside of her. Some had buried it deep under thousands of layers, others displayed it at the surface. She had grown up in a protective environment. Yet she had been taught independence. She was a quiet child. A child of few words, but countless thoughts. She easily gained people's respect. They took one look in her eyes and they knew that they could trust her, that she wasn't going to do them any harm. The beauty on her inside was openly displayed through her eyes for people to take a part of.   
  
As she had grown up, she lacked the experience of having a close friend. A best friend. Someone to share all thoughts with, all secrets. Someone to laugh with, cry with and gossip with. She was an unusual child, and she grew into an even more unusual young woman. Children her age did neither tease her nor make fun of her behind her back. They had a respect for her that they couldn't explain, that they didn't even contemplate over why they had it. She was like an untouchable angel. If she was touched, her purity would be defiled. She quietly existed in the outer fringes of the world, her presence merely a flutter in many lives. As she left the childhood behind her, boys started to turn their heads after her. They were spellbound by her unapproachable stance, and her modesty. She carried her head high, but simultaneously she appeared humble to the world. As she entered the teenage years, the people around her changed and along with that their opinions of her changed. She was no longer treated with the same quiet respect and acceptance. The boys competed in being the one to take away her purity. Simultaneously, the girls started to talk behind her back. Jealousy towards her beauty and her enchantment with the boys thrived and nourished cruel behavior.   
  
Her teens became a difficult time. She still was just as any other teenager. She still had confusing thoughts about herself and her identity, just like everyone else. Her body was going through changes. But she was alone. She didn't have anyone to talk to. The girls were turning their back on her and the boys just wanted her because she was different from the other girls, and she was therefore considered to be a conquest. She knew that she was different. And she hated it. 

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She slowly drifted out from the mist of sleep. The beams of the morning sun was tickling her eye-lids, and she couldn't help but smile. She carefully opened her eyes and let her heart fill with the warmth and relief the sun gave her. It had stopped raining. She lazily rolled over onto her back and yawned as she stretched her stiff limbs. She just laid there for a while and watched the reflections created by the sun dance over the ceiling. She took a deep breath and rose into a sitting position. She had to get up. It was a new day, and she had to get to work. She swung her bare legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. The floor was cold against her bare feet, but that didn't matter to her. As long as the sun was shining nothing could destroy her good mood. She walked into the kitchen and poured some water into a small pan to make herself some tea. She walked to the front door to retrieve the morning newspaper, and went back into the kitchen and took out some candles that she placed on the kitchen table. She put the newspaper in the middle and positioned the candles around it. She took a box of matches and lit all the candles.   
  
She never actually read the newspaper. She couldn't bare to read about all the misery in the world. Instead, every day, she lit a couple of candles and held two minutes of silence about everything that was terrible in the world. That was her way of dealing with the harsh reality. That was how she got some peace of mind to her battered soul. She would gladly take away everything that was cruel and evil from the world with one click of her fingers, but she couldn't. So she gave it two minutes of peace instead, to a world where there was war not only between countries or individuals, but inside of the individuals.   
  
Her mind relaxed to a meditative state and approximately two minutes later, she took one deep cleansing breath and opened her eyes. She blew out the candles and put the newspaper away. She poured the now boiling water into a cup and prepared her tea. It was a new day. The sun was shining, and the darkness, which the night before had brought her, was now a distant memory. But memory is a treacherous thing, and if we don't pay attention it fights back. 

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"Liz, I like you to meet David Anderson," Mr. Smith introduced.   
  


Mr. Stephen Smith was Liz's boss, and she had great respect for him. He was an honorable and righteous man. He acknowledged Liz, not for her exterior, but for her intelligence and warmth.   
  


Liz smiled and took David Anderson's hand and shook it.   
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Anderson," she said.   
  


"My pleasure," Mr. Anderson said. "And please, call me David."   
  


Liz nodded.   
"Okay...David," she said.   
  


David Anderson radiated with strong demeanor. Confidence was coming off him in waves and to most people that kind of confidence would feel threatening. Some saw it as competition that needed to be destroyed, others saw it as something to admire and copy, and some, people like Elizabeth Parker, didn't react much to it, but treated its host as an equal. Mr. Anderson was tall, with a prominent Nordic appearance. His hair was short and light blond. His eyes were blue, like the blue of a winter lake. They were almost icing cold, but sparkling with life. His eyes were a trait that had made several women fall to their knees. He had countless number of broken heart in his past. His charm had enchanted many, but even more had withered under his spell.   
  
"David is going to be our newest addition to our 'crew'," Mr. Smith said.   
  


"Really," Liz said with interest, and arched an eye-brow at the young man.   
  


"I hope I will be working with this beautiful woman," David complimented, a charming smile grazing his features. Liz blushed, and lowered her head slightly. Many men had complimented her on her beauty, but she still couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the recognition.   
  


"I'm sure you will be spending some time together," Mr. Smith said.   
  


David watched the young woman in front of her. She was exquisite. He instantly knew that he had to conquer her. It would not just be another woman, it would be a personal victory, a personal accomplishment. The woman seemed unattainable, but that only made her more attractive and desirable. 

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The images were coming fast. They were infesting themselves in his mind, devouring him. There was screaming, pain, and blood. There was fear and panic. It was inevitable. He bolted upwards in his bed, his breathing labored, pearls of sweat trickling down his forehead. He had warned her. He had warned her. Why did he still receive the images? 

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"Liz!"   
  


"Yeah?"   
  


Mr. Smith poked his head through the door-frame.   
"I'm leaving now. Are you sure you don't want a ride home?"   
  


Liz smiled and shook her head.   
"Yes, I'm sure. But thank you. I'm just gonna call for a cab."   
  


Mr. Smith looked at her with a thoughtful expression for a second, then he shook his head in disbelief.   
  


"Okay, Liz. Just don't stay too long. You will not be any good to us if you work yourself to death, you know!" His tone was reproachful but light.   
  


"I'm soon finished," Liz assured.   
Mr. Smith gave her a warm smile, and then nodded.   
  


"You lock up the place, all right?"   
  


"Of course," Liz said.   
  


She listened to the sound of his retreating footsteps as it gradually diminished into complete silence until the soft thud of the closing of the door announced that she was alone. She took a deep breath and returned her focus on the documents in front of her. She had a lot to do and amazingly enough she always found herself racing against time. 

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Liz was anxiously looking at the taximeter in the front of the cab as its numbers were slowly increasing and she was gradually feeling the money in her purse decreasing. She cursed herself for not bringing more money. She never had much money on her. She was not a great spender and she never shopped impulsively. Everything was well-planned. She always had a plan. Except for today. She hadn't planned that she would be taking a cab home. She hadn't planned on working late today again. But she had. And she hadn't realized her lack of means of payment until _after_ she had refuted the ride that was offered her. She sighed and leaned forward in her seat.   
  


"Excuse me," she said.   
  


The driver kept driving, only giving her a quick glance over his shoulder.   
  


"Yes?"   
  


"You can stop here," Liz told him.   
  


"Eh..okay," the taxi driver said and pressed the brakes. The car came to a halt and Liz pulled out the money necessary to pay for the drive from her purse. She handed the driver the money and stepped out.   
  
The second she stepped outside, and she watched the cab drive away in the night, the air around her seemed to grow colder. The same air that had been filled with a pleasant warmth this morning. But the sun was gone and with the taxi driver, so was her only link to humanity. She pulled her coat closer around her body and started walking down the street. At least it wasn't raining. 

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No. He would be too late. He could feel it. His bones were itching, his head was thudding. He was going to be too late. He quickened his pace, trying his best to locate her presence. 

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No. She turned her head forward again. It was all in her mind. All in her mind. She could hear the wind bristling through the tree crowns that hovered over her head, casting their dark and thick shadows over her. But there it was again. She could hear the cars in the distance, but she was walking in a desolate street, strictly following the pavement. The pavement was her sense of direction. The pavement was solid, something to be trusted. It would not suddenly crumble into dust under her feet. (She heard the sound again and turned her head) Would it?   
  
She could see her apartment now. She could see the familiar lantern outside. The same lantern that she could see if she looked out her bedroom window. But then she couldn't see it any longer. She lost sight of it. Everything went dark....and silent. The silence around her was so deafening that she could hear her own heart beat. She could even here the blood flushing through her veins, trying to nourish her brain so that she wouldn't pass out. She wasn't alone any longer.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Hi!!  
  
Thank you Kirstills, Katie and Liz for the feedback! It means a lot to me!!!  
  
  
  
[b]Chapter 3[/b]  
  
He could feel her strongly now. She was closer. But there was another presence there as well. She wasn't alone any longer. He hurried down the street - hoping that he wasn't too late. Hoping that he could defeat destiny - change the course of the future. He rounded the corner and he saw her. And him. She was laying on the ground. Her perpetrator was on top of her.  
  
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She felt like she had been lowered into a bowl of cotton. Every sound was muffled, every feeling was subdued. Her movements were slow. Agonizingly slow. The paths connecting her brain to the rest of her body were cut off. Disabled. The ripping sound as her shirt was torn apart felt like thousands of needles pressed into her ear drum, and then suddenly she could hear everything very clearly. She felt cold hands on her stomach. She felt the same strange and tarnished hands move to her breasts. She closed her eyes and tried to breath. But her lungs weren't co-operating with her any longer. Her body had started its escape from the man in the only way it could - by fleeing from her.  
  
With a gasp the air flowed into her, and she opened her eyes to look up at the starry night sky. Her shirt was open, her stomach naked and vulnerable in the cold night air. She turned her head and saw the man that had laid plastered on top of her only a few moments ago, laying in a tranquil heap of limbs on the ground against the brick wall of one of the houses. She turned her head back and found herself staring right into a pair of dark eyes. She inhaled sharply - the fear and panic still an evident and vital part of her body. "Wh-what..." she breathed. She didn't even recognize her own voice any longer. Was this her? Was she really here? She felt weird. It was an experience similar to floating. She was trapped in her eyes, but she wasn't suffering. Reassurance and calmness seemed to seep into her - filling her every cell, exploding through her every nerve. And then he was gone - just as quickly as he had appeared. She quickly got her body working and rose up on her shaky legs. "No! Wait! I want to talk to you!" she cried and somehow she found the strength to run after him. But nature had planned it in another way. She was pretty small, and her legs were short. When all she wanted was to disappear in the crowd - to hide away from the harsh reality - it was a good length. Then it worked in her favor. But not now.  
  
She stopped and stared down the street. It was empty. All she could see was a homeless woman dressed in worn clothes, pushing an old and well-used cart in front of her further down the street. No signs of her savior. Her heart was still beating hard against her ribs - making her chest ache. Her breathing was erratic, the air burning the inside of her throat. Still staring down the street, she took a deep breath and tried to calm her body down. She had always had great control over her body. Generally, she possessed a lot of self-control. But this had frightened her to the bones. She turned her head to once again look at the still body of her attacker laying on the ground. She walked back to him, and stared at him. He seemed to be of middle age. His hair was blonde - almost white - the hair roots dark, indicating the artificiality of the hair color. She bent down and picked up her purse, and with one hand clutching her coat together she started to walk towards her apartment and the false security it could provide her with. Her mind was already in the process of repressing the event.  
  
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Liz slowly pushed up the lid, revealing its treasures of the white and black pieces of wood. She held her breath as slowly brushed her fingers against the sleek surface. Those pieces of woods - coated with white and black cover - together with some strings, were able to create the most beautiful of sounds. As her fingers gently brushed up and down the surface, and with her eyes closed, she could hear the music inside of her head. Flowing through her, creating sweet and utter harmony.  
  
RIIIINNNG!! She jerked out of her thoughts so violently that she almost knock the lid. She was inches away from getting the lid slammed down on top of her fingers. She sighed and moved to the telephone. She'd never liked telephones. They were so impersonal. You couldn't see the person you were talking to. Sure - you could hear the person's voice, but that wasn't the same thing. A voice without its appurtenant facial expression was misleading - and could be misinterpreted.  
  
She picked up the receiver, silencing the telephone of its shrill cry. "Hello?" she said.  
  
"Pumpkin? It's daddy."  
  
"Oh, hi daddy." She was happy to hear his voice. His voice could always calm her down. To her, her father was security embodied. He was the stability in her life...just like her mother had been.  
  
"How are you, honey? You're not working too hard I hope."  
  
"Me? Working too hard?" Liz asked in mock innocence. But her father's voice was serious as he spoke.  
  
"Lizzie. I don't want a recurrence of what happened last time."  
  
"Dad," Liz said, her voice firm. "I'm [i]not[/i] working too hard, okay."  
  
There was a pause. A pause filled with doubt, but also the fear of losing the last part of his family...and then her father answered.  
  
"Okay, honey. I'm just worried, that's all."  
  
Liz smiled, feeling a little guilty.  
  
"I know, daddy. I know."  
  
"So, has anything special happened?"  
  
Well, she had been assailed twice - once by a mysterious stranger that apparently didn't want her no harm, and once by a rapist. The mysterious stranger had saved her from the rapist, and had then run off before she got a chance to thank him. That had happened in the short period of two days.  
  
"No, it's been pretty quiet around here," Liz said lightly.  
  
"Quiet? In New York?" her father joked.  
  
"Well...you know what I mean. How are you?" Liz said - effectively steering away from that conversation. She didn't like this. To lie to her father. She had always stayed honest with her parents. But she also knew that her father would probably die of worry if he knew what had happened. She had to do this on her own. She was on her own.  
  
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"Where are you?"  
  
"New York."  
  
"What?! Are you crazy?!"  
  
"I just..."  
  
"Mom is beside herself with worry! I was scared to death that something had happened to you!"  
  
"I'm sorry, it's just...."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I had to warn her."  
  
Sigh.  
  
"Max...you can't go off somewhere every time you get a vision! We are a group. Everything that you do affects us. You might get hurt, Max. You aren't even conscious while you're getting the flashes. What if it happens out in bright day light...what if someone sees you."  
  
"Iz, don't worry. I'm only out in the nights."  
  
Sigh.  
  
"Max. [i]You can't do this[/i]. I know that you want to save everyone that you see in your premonitions, but what about you start to think about those closest to you instead..."  
  
"There's something about her..."  
  
"Max. Stop it. God! I'm so tired! I'm just so tired."  
  
"I think there's more about this girl than there's been about the others."  
  
"Max... I can't do this right now. Please, promise me that you will come home as soon as possible."  
  
"Iz..."  
  
"Promise me, Max!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Okay. I'll check the flights right away."  
  
"Thank you, Max."  
  
-----------------------------  
  
He was on a mission. The smell tickled his senses, made his feeler waver. There was food close by and he was to get to it. His hairy legs left the wooden surface of the shelf, and he was on the move. His brittle wings were moving so fast that they were perceived as immobile to the human eye. He zoomed in on that smell, and turned gracefully in the air. He landed softly, and the buzzing that he normally surrounded himself with, was reduced as his legs were now the most pertinent means of travel. The ends of his limbs grazed a slippery surface, and he was for a second thrown off his initial destination to investigate what sort of surface he was standing on. A few seconds later he was moving again, leaving the photographic paper behind him.  
  
"Damn fly!!" Mr. Eash exclaimed and waved away the annoying buzzing fly with his hand. He took a deep breath - trying to get the annoyance out of his system - which was easier said than done with the recent development still working as a fresh reminder in his mind. He smacked his hand down on the file in front of him - missing the fly with only a few millimeters.  
  
"Damn," he murmured as he watch the fly resume its flying and buzzing in his office. He reached out with his hand and picked up the sandwich that was to be his lunch for the day. He took a big bite of the turkey sandwich, while his eyes were diverted back to the file. On top of the sheet a serious male face looked back at him. He had determination in his eyes, and every time Mr. Eash laid his eyes on that picture he couldn't help but think that he'd never seen a kid look like that. Maybe someone who had been in the Nam or served several years in a top government facility, having to bear thousands of secrets. But never a kid. There was something about that kid that filled him with the deepest sense of unease. And it was not just due to the fact of what his executives thought he was. Even now he snorted every time he thought of it. This kid was not like other kids. No. He [i]did[/i] carry a secret. This goddamn boy was an alien. Yeah, that's right. An alien! He chuckled and leaned back in his arm-chair. But there was something about it that he couldn't quite shake. There was something about those eyes, and his whole stance that oozed of secrecy. And then there were all of the weird happenings in Roswell, New Mexico that couldn't be disregarded as coincidences or events of nature.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
The tall blond girl trapped her brother in a big hug. "I'm so happy that you're back," she whispered in his ear - the relief evident in her voice. He hugged her close to him. It was good to be home, but he still had problems shaking the feelings that something bad was going to happen.  
  
"I'm happy to be back too," he said as he slowly stepped out of her tight embrace. Her worried eyes were darting over him - as if checking that he was okay. That it was really him. Then she hit him on the arm.  
  
"Ouch, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing the place on his arm that her hand had whipped.  
  
"Don't you ever do that again," she scolded. "You scared me half to death. I thought you were dead!"  
  
"I'm fine....and I'm sorry," he said gently. He knew that he probably shouldn't have left the way he did, but he felt that he didn't have any choice. It was like she was calling for him. To rescue her.  
  
"How are mom and dad?" he asked timidly.  
  
She smirked.  
  
"Well, I was easy on you," she said. "But your on your own now."  
  
He sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. He could at least be happy that he at least didn't live in the same house as his parents anymore, because then they would probably have him grounded.  
  
----------------------------------  
  
"Hey Liz."  
  
Liz looked up at the man standing in the doorway to her office. She smiled at him.  
  
"Hi David."  
  
He sauntered in, his eyes never leaving her and positioned himself in the arm-chair across from her desk. She had already turned her attention back to the drawings in front of her. He was somewhat offended by her obvious lack of attention.  
  
"So, Liz..."  
  
She looked up at him, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.  
  
"Yes?" she said, raising one of her eye brows questioning.  
  
"I'm going out to dinner tonight. Would you care to join me?"  
  
Liz looked at him, a smile playing in the corners of her mouth.  
  
"Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," he stated simply.  
  
"Aha," Liz said, and returned her gaze to the drawings on the desk. David's eyes darkened. Who did she think she was?  
  
Liz looked up again and met his eyes. "Do you think it's so wise to date one of your colleagues?"  
  
"I think it's very wise," David said, giving her one of his most sparkling smiles and showing off a line of perfect white teeth. "We can talk business if you want..."  
  
"Really?" Liz asked.  
  
Okay, now she was flirting, and David found that extremely sexy. The way her eyes were dancing, and the somewhat seductive smile on her face.  
  
"Really," David said. He wasn't used to do this much talking. Often the women turned speechless when he asked them out, and then the rest was easy. Just do it smooth. However, once again he had to admit that he was dealing with something completely else when it came to this Elizabeth Parker. But nothing was impossible, and he was going to have her - even if he had to put in a little more effort than usually.  
  
Liz leaned back in her arm-chair, her eyes fixed on him in a way that started to make him a little nervous. She had the most incredible eyes, but it was as if she could see right through him with those eyes - and that made him a little insecure of himself all of the sudden. "Actually, I think I have to take a raincheck on that one," she said as she leaned forward again. As quickly as someone would turn off the lamp, her whole stance and charisma was transformed. She went from a sexy temptress to the formal office-worker, and she seemed once again engrossed in the drawings sprawled out on her desk - totally oblivious to David's presence.  
  
"I have a lot to do," she added without looking up, as she started to draw some new lines to her draft.  
  
David had never felt so rejected in his whole life as Elizabeth Parker made him feel right that second. And it made him angry - so angry. Without a word he rose from the arm-chair and strode out of her office.  
  
--------------------------------  
  
Max bolted up from his bed. No. It was happening again. He tried to calm down his racing heart by taking deep breaths. She was calling him. She was pulling him towards her, and he couldn't resist. He couldn't go back to sleep and pretend that nothing had happened. It would pull inside of him until he did something about it - until he stopped it. If he resisted it would rip him apart. He had no choice. His hand reached out and turned on the lamp on the bedside table, and the soft light spread in his room - trying its best to illuminate the dark corners of his room. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and walked over to his desk. How much money did he have? He had to get to New York City. And he had to get there now....before it was too late.  
  
TBC...  
  
---------------------------------------.  
  
Tell me what you think...  
  
Josephin xxx 


	4. Chapter 4

Hey everyone!!  
  
I'm so happy you're enjoying this story...  
  
Thank you so much;  
  
tals (I sooooo appreciate that you tell me what you like with the story. It means a lot to me!!)  
  
Dark Phoenix  
  
Nerrivik  
  
Isabel (Hey...what's your name at the Roswell Fanatics. So I can recognize you : ) )  
  
Okay, on with the story...  
  
  
  
  


**Chapter 4**   
  


  
_One year earlier_   
  
"I can make her better," Max stated.   
  


Two sets of eyes stared at him as if he had grown a second head.   
  


"What the hell are you talking about, Maxwell?"   
  


Max leaned across the table and adamantly met his best friend's hard glare.   
  


"She's our friend, Michael. We can't just sit around and do nothing. She'll die."   
  


His words were emphasized, the emotion of distress evident in each word.   
  


"Max," his sister said gently, making him lean backwards in the seat again and instead meet his sister's eyes. "We can't expose ourselves like that. And how do we know that it will work? Maybe you can't heal her anyway. You've only healed animals and small cuts this far."   
  


"I'm willing to take that risk of exposure if it means that I can help her," Max said determinedly.   
  


Michael slammed his fist in the table, making Isabel jump.   
  


"Damn it, Max!! Do you really want them to find us?! Healing her would be to send out a red flag and wave the FBI over. Over here, come and get us! Oh, you want to prod us...hmm, well I guess I would like to have some needles in me, and some people cutting in m-"   
  


"Michael," Max said, his voice warning, while he worriedly glanced around the restaurant to see if anyone was listening.   
  


"This isn't your decision to make, Max," Michael said, his nostrils flaring with the anger that he was unsuccessful in controlling.   
  


"I know, Michael," Max said, starting to show the same anger. "That's why I'm talking to you!"   
  
"Okay you guys, stop it!" Isabel ordered. "We are in a public restaurant!" She lowered her voice. "We don't want people to know that we are sitting here discussing if we should heal one of our friends from incurable cancer or not."   
  


"Wouldn't you even consider it?" Max asked.   
  


Michael took a deep breath and tried his best to cool off. He frustrated scratched with his hand above his eyebrow. He didn't want her to die. Hell no! But he was afraid. Afraid of what would happen if someone else knew. Knew their secret. He cared for her too much to have her look at him as a monster, something that made her want to puke. But simultaneously, this was her _life_ they were talking about. Wouldn't her life count more than his feelings of insecurity? Yeah, right. Those were just some feelings of insecurity! He wouldn't call it only _insecurities_ when he found himself strapped to a cold metal table, his flesh being penetrated with knives and whatever sharp objects that could be used for the purpose.   
  


"Okay, Maxwell. I'll think about it," Michael agreed with a sigh.   
  


"Isabel?" Max asked and turned towards his sister.   
  


She nodded. "Of course I will consider it."   
  
Max knew what he was asking them for. In the same moment as their jelly-covered bodies had erupted from the husks that had nourished and protected their bodies for forty-seven years, they had known that they had to hide. That they had a secret to hide. It had been instinctive. A matter of survival. That was all they had ever been fully certain about; that they weren't to display their abilities to anyone. That meant danger. Danger. They didn't know where they came from, why they were put on this planet. They didn't know why they had awoken in pods. They didn't know why they had looked like six-year-olds. They had figured out that they probably were from another planet. Okay, perhaps that sounded preposterous, but as Max had said it the first time, actually voiced what had swirled round in the podsters' minds for some time, they had all nervously laughed at the idea. Aliens were green, two feet tall, and had no mouth. They had big black eyes, and they talked telepathically. They came to Earth in small spaceships where they went around eating dogs and cats, and zapping every human being that came in their way.   
  
Max was dark-haired, had deep expressive amber eyes, had the deepest compassion for people who suffered, and had a strong loyalty to his sister and his best friend. The only ones except himself that were different. Isabel was tall, had blonde long hair, and brown eyes. She loved cheerleading and hanging out with her friends to gossip and go shopping. Michael had brown hair, and brown eyes. He kept a lot to himself, he was a loner just like Max. He had a fiery temper, but he would sacrifice everything for the two people that mattered more to him than he would ever admit. He covered his heart from external hurt with a tough exterior. They were all living with a constant fear, that were nagging deep inside of them. But there was one pertinent thing that made them all different from the little green men and similar to the people on this planet. They all looked human. They all had human emotions. They all had human thoughts. The only things that really separated them from humans were the fact that they were able to do some things that other people weren't, and they had to live like refugees, always looking over their shoulder. They had to live with the constant fear of one day standing face to face with a man dressed in a formal suit pointing a gun at them and know that would be the end.   
  
  
Max knew what he asked for. But she was one of their best friends. One of the friends that had taken the odd group to her heart. She had taken them to her heart, no questions asked, and accepted them. It had filled them with the deepest sense of belonging. But now she was sick. One year ago she had been diagnosed with incurable cancer. There was a tumor eating on her brain. It had started to spread through her neural system, infecting every part of her with its evil. She always suffered from a thudding headache, and sometimes her body would collapse, her mind seeking some sort of haven in a state of unconsciousness. Now she couldn't move from her bed any longer. The tumor had infested itself in the area of her brain that controlled her faculty of speech, and she couldn't form one coherent word any longer. Her friends were witnessing how the once sparkling, vibrant girl, who had the biggest heart and always reached out a helping hand even if it meant that it would hurt herself in the end, gradually deteriorate in front of their eyes. Max couldn't take it any longer. He had been able to ease her ailments a little as he discreetly poured his healing strength into her head as he hugged her. But that didn't take away the tumor. That didn't make her stand up and bounce around like she always had done as she was excited. That didn't make her smack her hand over Michael's head when he said something stupid (which was a recurrent event). He wanted to heal her. He knew that he could do it. He knew it. He just had to focus a lot. He couldn't let her die. His heart ached, and he could barely stand being in the same room as her anymore. Because it wasn't her laying there in that big bed. It wasn't her. It wasn't Maria. 

--------------------------------------------------

  
  
_Present time_   
  
"He left? Again?" Michael asked in disbelief.   
  


"Yes," Isabel sighed. She was just so tired of her brother's escapades. He thought he was some damn super hero out on a mission to save the whole world from evil. Why couldn't he understand that he put everyone in jeopardy?   
  


"He needs to get his brain fixed," Michael muttered.   
  


"Hey...what's wrong?"   
  


They looked up and saw Maria standing there, eyeing them over.   
  


"Max's AWOL," Michael declared.   
  


"Again?" Maria said, and sat down next to Michael.   
  


"That's what I said," Michael said.   
  


"What is he doing?" Maria asked.   
  


"He's off saving some girl. I think it's the same girl as last time," Isabel said.   
  


"Wow, she must be really messed up if she needs his help that many times," Maria said.   
  


"Ya know what I've been thinking," Michael said.   
  


"I'm not sure I even wanna know," Isabel said.   
  


"Yeah...thinking... Michael, you know that never ends well," Maria said seriously.   
  


"Haha, very funny," Michael said sarcastically. "My theory is that the chic Max is constantly 'saving' is really his secret lover."   
  


Maria and Isabel simultaneously scrunched their noises.   
  


"Ewww," the said in unison.   
  


"That's like...my brother you're talking about," Isabel said.   
  


"Yeah Michael. Let's be serious. This is Max, you know," Maria said matter-of-factly. "The guy who hasn't shown anything close to an interest in girls. Like ever. Actually, I once again adduce that Maxie boy is gay."   
  


"He's not," Michael exclaimed. "I would've known if he was!"   
  


"Well, maybe you just ain't his type," Maria said arching her eye-brow at him.   
  
"Okay, now would be a good moment to put an end to this conversation," Isabel said. If she knew Michael and Maria as well as she thought she did, they would soon start talking about Max's sex-life and from there on anything could happen. And she definitely didn't want to hear about that!!   
  


"What are we going to do about Max?" Isabel asked.   
  


"Well, Max is the one with the job that makes good money," Maria said. "I don't have the money to go after him to New York. And even if I did, I'm not so sure I would want to spend my money on chasing after him."   
  


"But we have to do something. He might get hurt," Isabel said. "I don't like it."   
  


"Max is a big boy, Isabel. I'm sure he can take care of himself," Maria said.   
  


"He has no control of his premonitions," Isabel said. "They are so new that he hasn't learned how to use them yet."   
  


Maria nodded in understanding.   
  


"So..he's like not conscious when he gets the premonitions?" she asked.   
  


Isabel shook her head.   
"No, I think he leaves the state of consciousness and goes to another state of his mind, the unconscious or whatever, where he is susceptible to the visions."   
  


"Why don't he just shut them off?" Michael asked bluntly.   
  


"Like I said, he has yet no control over those powers," Isabel said, annoyance in her voice.   
  


"Yeah, spaceboy. And last time I checked you weren't exactly the master of controlling your powers."   
  
"That is taken care of," Michael murmured.   
  


Maria's eyebrows went up to the roots of her hair.   
"Really?"   
  


"Yeah," Michael said, his voice daring Maria to say another word. Well, on someone else that might have worked. But Maria rarely stepped back from a conversation where she could tease Michael. Isabel sighed as Michael and Maria started bickering again. She wished her brother was here. They still hadn't reached a decision what they should do. It looked as if she had to go to New York on her own.   
  
  
TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

Hi there! * hides guiltily behind my chair * I know that I've been really bad at updating lately. Sorry!!! : ( But now I'm back, and I won't keeping you waiting as long for the next update - I promise.  
  
Thank you so much for the feedback;  
  
Dark Pheonix Akashaa - Hi! I'm so happy to have you reading this one of my stories too!!! : )

**Chapter 5**

  
  
"Hey Liz."   
  


She whipped around, her heart disentangling itself from its strings and plummeting down her stomach. As she saw him, her eyes narrowed and she relaxed a little. But the strong sense of apprehension had put its claws in her to stay.   
  


"Mr. Anderson, what are you doing here?" she asked, surprised that she was able to keep her voice steady. He smiled at her, which made a chill run down her spine. She didn't know why her mind was screaming DANGER at her. It was only David...from work. Although, she couldn't ignore the fact that warning bells had gone off in her head the moment David reached out his hand to greet her that day when he'd first come to work there.   
  


"Please, Liz, call me David. And I was just checking so that you came home all right."   
  


Like hell you were! Liz thought, and forced herself to smile.   
  


"Well, that's nice of you. But now I'm home so..good night, Mr. Anderson."   
  


She intentionally used his surname to distance herself from him. He gave her the creeps, especially when she knew that she was alone in a dark stair well late at night. It didn't help matters much that all her neighbors were in their sixties, so no one would be able to come to her rescue. Oh, stop it Liz! She banned herself. Why would anyone have to save her? It was only David from work. Again...that didn't ease her anxiety. She turned to her door, keeping a constant watch on him in her peripheral vision, and hauled up her keys from her purse, discreetly trying to signal to him that she was home now – safe – and that she intended on going into her apartment – alone - and he was to go home. Well, either he was very dense, or he wanted something else. And Liz was pretty sure it was the latter alternative, because he didn't go away. He stood there beside her, a cocky smug draped over his face. She wasn't so comfortable about opening the door to her apartment when he was still standing there. If she opened the door, he could push her inside and no one would hear her.   
  
She was so distressed at the moment, that she didn't notice that she was being watched by more than David Anderson's cold eyes. He was standing in the shadows, a grim expression on his face as he watched the man more or less harass her. He tightened his clenched fists as the man reached out with his hand and run it down her arm. He could see her jumping, but she was still trying to pretend like nothing.   
  


"How about you invite me in," David suggested in a slimy voice.   
  


The man standing in the shadows started to focus on Mr. Anderson's legs, pushing them apart.   
  
Liz turned her head around and watched in bewilderment as the smooth Mr. Anderson somehow tripped and fell down the stairs. If she had been in another situation, that would have seemed funny to her. But she wasn't. So it didn't. Instead she took hold of that iron focus inside of her and put the key in the lock. Without looking back to check on how Mr. Anderson had taken the fall, she closed the door, put on the latch, and locked all the locks she had on the door, shutting out the hostile world.   
  
The man disguising himself by the help of the dark shadows felt relief flow through him. She was safe. 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
The gray colors were whirling around her. They were pressing her down, filling up her cells with darkness. There were sounds everywhere. Subdued sounds. Whispers. Hushes. The surroundings were dark and menacing. She found herself covered in a thick mist.   
  


"Max!" she cried out, trying to penetrate the mist with her weightless body.   
  


She couldn't see a thing, and the voices around her were scaring her. There were weird smells around her. She had never been experiencing smells on this level of consciousness before.   
  


"Max!" she cried again. She saw a dark shadow huddled up some feet ahead of her.   
  


"Max...?" she said again. She tentatively moved closer to the figure. The person was clutching something. This was Max's mind. Of that she was sure. Even though the impressions and feelings in his mind were very different from how she remembered them to be, there was something hanging on the fringes of the surroundings, trying to slip through the impenetrable surroundings. It was the small things that defined her brother. His gentleness, his shyness, his protectorate, his warmth, his humanity...   
  


Her heart was slamming in her chest, small beads of perspiration forming on her forehead, but she had to touch that figure. She moved closer. The figure's back was facing her, but as she came closer she could make out the contours of what the figure was clutching to the chest. It was a human. A female.   
  


"Max....?" she said timidly.   
  


The figure's head swirled around, his eyes large and unrecognizable with fear and grief.   
  


"Isabel..." he breathed.   
  
"Max...you're scaring me," she said as she watched him turn his head back towards the figure in his lap. 

Isabel stepped closer and looked over his shoulder. The sight chilled her to the bones. It was a woman, a beautiful woman. Her forehead was shining with perspiration, her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly ajar. Isabel followed the woman's slender figure with her eyes, to come to a halt at the woman's abdomen. It was covered in a dark, dull substance. Blood.   
  


"Max..." she said slowly. "What's happening?"   
  


"I couldn't save her," he said, and his voice tore at her heart. He sounded...lost. She could not recognize his voice any longer. There was too much grief and loneliness. Too much heart-wrenching sorrow. Desolation. "I couldn't save her, Iz."   
  


"This is just one of your premonitions....let's get out of here," Isabel said gently, and she focused on changing the surroundings. But her efforts turned out to be unsuccessful. Something was keeping her here. Max was hindering her from changing the state his mind was captured in.   
  


"Max...let go," Isabel said, her voice betraying the strain visiting his mind and trying to make changes in it was doing to her.   
  


"I can't leave her, Iz," Max whispered, his voice turning the blood floating through Isabel's veins into ice.   
  


"Max... she isn't real, she isn't real," Isabel said, taking a firm grip around her brother's arm in an effort to remove him from the female and this premonition.   
  


"Max!" she cried. She could feel how her energy was depleting. She had to get him out of there. She couldn't leave him there. "Max!"   
  
With one final forceful tug, she pulled on his body and his mind, and the eerie dark world started to dissipate around them.   
"Nooooo"   
  


Isabel tried to block out her brother's wail. It was inhuman, like the wail of a wounded animal. Bright colors of blue, red, yellow, and green started to blend with the dark and cold colors. Brightness was taking over, and under Isabel's spell they soon found themselves in a meadow. The sky was blue, not a cloud in sight. The light breeze was warm and inviting. The grass sparkling with life, and here and there small splotches of color showed their humble petals.   
  


Max was kneeling on the ground, his upper body bent over his knees, covering his face with his hands.   
  


"Max...?" Isabel said and fell on her knees beside her brother. The shining sun and the rich scent of flowers hanging in the air merely served to make the situation more bizarre and surreal. Her brother was in pain...and perhaps a dark place would have been more fitting. It was as if he was hiding from the world, hiding away from the happiness.   
She put her hand on his shoulder. But he felt cold...and in an instant she felt as if she was falling. Her breath caught in her throat and before she had a time to react she found herself back in her room in the hotel she was staying at. She sat up and rubbed her forehead. She couldn't help but be stunned. Max had push her out. He had kicked her out of his mind. He had never done that before. 

-----------------------------------------

  
  
**_1987_**   
  
Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock   
  
The sound vibrated through the small room. The wallpaper was old, the white flowers on the pink background slowly fading due to age. The floor was cold, forcing the little girl to sit on the carpet. Spread out around her were small pieces of woods, all in different forms, with the purpose of fitting snugly together if put with the right partner. The movement of her small hand was repetitive, but yet displayed no signs of fatigue. They were smooth and simple, yet swift.   
  
Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock   
  
Her hand moved with the same rate as the hands of the clock hanging on the wall. Tick – one piece was put in place, tock – another piece was put in place. The pieces were rapidly forming an image. The puzzle was expanding under her brisk hand.   
  
Tick-tock tick-tock tick-tock   
  
The sound of the rhythmic ticking was penetrated by the an inconsistent knocking. The girl was quickly on her feet. "I'll get it!"   
  
  
"Okay pumpkin," her mother answered, while she slowly moved towards the front door, the rag in her hand. Her movements at freeing the shelves and tables in the living room from the uninvited dust were simple. It was the movements of someone who had done that motion several times. Her hand stopped in mid air as her daughter's voice reached her ears.   
  


"Mir geht es gut. Ja... Nein, das is gut, danke. Ja, danke schön. Tschüss."   
  


She took some stuttering steps towards the hallway.   
  


"Mom! The food is here."   
  


The little girl's voice trailed off as she nearly hit her mother square in the chest with the pizza box she held in her hands.   
  


"It's extra cheese," the little girl said, with a tempting smile. Her mother's staring was making her insecure. Why was she looking at her like that?   
  


"Mom... what's wrong?"   
  


Her daughter's timid voice broke her out of her frozen stance. The mother focused on pulling up the corners of her mouth and give her daughter a calming and reassuring smile. But she failed.   
  


"Let's eat," the mother said hoarsely.   
  


The little girl nodded, but kept observing her mother. She thoughtfully turned around and disappeared into the kitchen. The little girl was four years old. She was raised in America. Her native language was English. Nothing could provide a sensible explanation to the fact that she had been able to speak fluent German with the bilingual pizza deliverer. Nothing could thoroughly explain why she during the consecutive year was able to learn to speak fluent French, Spanish, Latin, Greek, Russian, Chinese...   
  
  
TBC...


	6. Chapter 6

Hi all!!  
  
It's been a while since I updated - so to make up for that I'll post three chapters (how does that sound?)  
  
Angelflyer - Nice to see you here too!! Thank you so much for your feedback!! Akashaa - I know it was a long time ago now...but I hope that you are free from that cold ; ) Thank you so much for the feedback!! ElfGirl - Love it that you're reading this one of my fics too!! Thank you!! :D  
  
And now on with the story...

**Chapter 6**   
  


  
Max rose from the bed as he heard the knocking on the thin wooden door.   
He was not surprised to find his sister at the other side of the door. He had felt her presence as soon as she had entered the motel.   
  


"Hi Max," she said, her voice stiff and formal.   
  


"Hi Isabel," Max said, his voice caring traces of guilt.   
  


Without an invitation, Isabel brushed past her brother into the room. "So this is where you've been hiding."   
  


"Isabel, I..."   
  


"You just had to leave again, right," Isabel said, and it was more a statement than a question.   
  


"She was in danger," Max said.   
  


He expected his sister to snap at him, but she just calmly sat down on the edge of the bed, watching him quietly.   
  


"What..?" Max asked timidly.   
  


"Who is she, Max?"   
  


Max averted his eyes from hers to stare at the pink wall-to-wall carpet covering the floor instead.   
  


"I don't know, Isabel," he said.   
  


"Something's different about her," Isabel said, and met Max's eyes without flickering as he shot them back to hers.   
  
"I saw her in your drea- in your premonition and there was something different about her whole presence. And that's really weird in itself 'cause she wasn't really there...it was only a premonition."   
  


"Yeah," Max said, his body gradually turning cold as his thoughts were pulled back to the premonition when he had held her dead body in his arms. When he had failed to protect her. When he had failed in saving her. "The premonition was different from the others I've had."   
  


"What do you mean?" Isabel said, as her brother grew silent.   
  


"You know when I got those premonitions about mom and we made her stay at home that day when she was actually going to get into a car crash...?"   
  


"Yeah," Isabel, her voice now low and thin as she was once again reminded of which major turn her life could have taken if Max hadn't seen their mother in that car crash, if they haven't been able to prevent it from happening.   
  


"I didn't feel anything like that then...with mom. And I know mom. I don't know this girl and yet I feel this...this..."   
  


"What?"   
  


"This _pull_ towards her. Like she's calling for me. The others I've saved haven't been conscious of the fact that they needed help, but for some reason I'm not so sure about her. I think she somehow knows that she's in danger. And I don't know how she does it, but she calls for me."   
  
"Do you know how weird that sounds?" Isabel asked.   
  


Max sighed, and sat down beside Isabel on the bed.   
  


"I know, I know," he said, rubbing his forehead with his hand. Isabel looked at him worriedly. This was really bothering him. She knew her brother and the responsibility he put on himself. He took responsibility for everyone around him, even the people he didn't know. A part of him would die if he failed in saving someone, knowing that he'd possessed the knowledge that should have saved that person. And now Isabel wondered how big that part would actually get and just how far off Michael had been when he had said that Max was in New York City to meet his secret lover. Seriously, the girl seemed very important, but maybe it was just because she left such a big impression on him. Isabel had only felt her indirectly when she had tried to dreamwalk Max and instead had stumbled into one of his premonitions. The short time Isabel had felt this girl was enough to leave her thinking about that girl for the whole weekend. That is, before she was able to dreamwalk Max again and find out his destination.   
  
Isabel placed a hand on Max's shoulder in a supportive manner. 

  
"Max, we'll help her. I'll help you," Isabel said.   
  


Max turned his head and looked at her gratitude written all over his face, as the tension visible in his facial features smoothed out some.   
  


"Thank you, Isabel."   
  


"So, what's her name?"   
  


"Elizabeth. Elizabeth Parker." 

---------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Elizabeth. Elizabeth Parker."   
  


"What is her relation to the subject?"   
  


"Well, at first glance - nothing. But if you look a little closer, things start to look suspicious. This woman is what you would call a prodigy."   
  


"A prodigy?"   
  


"Yes. She could speak seven different languages at the age of five. She could play the piano when she was two years old and then we aren't talking "Twinkle, twinkle little star". We're talking Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven-"   
  


"If she was such an extraordinary child, then why hasn't anyone heard of her?"   
  


"Reports from her teachers and some of her classmates show that she display resistance to participate in group activities. She was often seen on her own. She hardly socialized with anyone. Her parents seem to have been very secretive about her abilities."   
  


"Wouldn't they want to show her off. Like any proud parent?"   
  


"Yeah, that's why this doesn't make sense. The parents acted like what she could do was abnormal instead of special. Which brings us to the fact that Max Evans parents weren't so quick on showing off their child's abilities either."   
  


"He was the same?"   
  
"Pretty much. He could memorize a book after reading it once. One of his teachers reports that he knew the whole phone book by heart. But what's interesting is that he also kept for himself. He was only seen with two other individuals, Isabel Evans - his sister, and Michael Guerin."   
  


"Is his sister the same way?"   
  


"She was considered to be highly intelligent as well, but you would never have guessed that Max and Isabel were siblings. Isabel Evans was active in the cheer-leading squad. She was in the Student Council. She was active in various school plays and other activities that were arranged during holidays, as Christmas and Halloween. She interacted with several individuals, never committing herself to just a few people."   
  


"Is she under the same accusations as Max Evans?"   
  


"We can never be sure. She was adopted at the same time as Max and even though they are as different as night and day there is this secretive aura about them that makes them stand out from everybody else."   
  


"And Michael Guerin?"   
  


"A delinquency. He's been transferred from foster home to foster home, his misbehavior increasing with each transfer. He's quick-tempered, but is also a loner and rarely socialize with anyone. Except Isabel and Max Evans. He rarely sat his foot in school during his school years, but somehow he always managed to do well in class and on tests."   
  
"Another brainiac?"   
  


"Perhaps."   
  


"So...Isabel Evans and Michael Guerin could also be..."   
  


"There is a possibility."   
  


"And where does this Elizabeth Parker come into the picture?"   
  


"Max Evans abruptly leaves for NYC to save her from a rapist."   
  


"He might just have been on the right place at the right moment."   
  


"Maybe. However, next he returns to Roswell just to go back to New York two days later."   
  


"And now you think he's still here, and probably because of this girl."   
  


"Yes."   
  


"Then I guess we have to pay Elizabeth Parker a small visit." 

----------------------------------------------------

  
  
The documents went flying out over the floor.   
  


"Oh my God. I am so sorry!"   
  


Liz kneeled, starting to pick up the papers. The person who had accidentally bumped into her did the same.   
  


"Oh, don't worry. It was just an accident," Liz said, her hands moving over the yellow surface of the office floor in search of her drawings. Her hands came to an abrupt halt as they bumped into the other person's hands and she raised her eyes to meet the woman kneeling across from her. The woman was beautiful. She had long blonde hair, light brown eyes and gracious clean-cut features. Her make-up was simple, serving to make her natural beauty even more prominent. The woman gave a slight smile as she felt the other woman's analyzing looks.   
  


"Hi, I'm Isabel," the woman introduced herself and stretched out her hand for Liz to take.   
  


Liz's facial features soften and she took Isabel's hand. Isabel noticed that this petite woman had a firm grip and a fire in her eyes that made her almost glow. No surprise that her brother showed her such great interest.   
  


"I'm Liz. Are you new here?"   
  


"Yeah, I'm Mr. Anderson's assistant," Isabel said, and was for a moment puzzled by the dark almost frightened flash that seemed to momentarily flashed by in Liz's eyes. But it disappeared so quickly that Isabel wondered if she had just been mistaking.   
  


"Well, welcome. I'm sure you gonna like it here," Liz said, and to Isabel's surprise she grew even more beautiful as she smiled. There was something special about this Liz's beauty. It wasn't just an appearance. It was a whole matter of stance, confidence, humbleness and goodness.   
  


"Thank you, Liz," Isabel said, and then tore her eyes away from the dark-haired woman to retrieve the last leaves of paper that had floated down behind her. "Here you go."   
Isabel put the papers in Liz's hand and flashed her a warm smile.   
  


"Nice meeting you, Liz."   
  


"Nice meeting you too, Isabel. I hope we'll be seeing more of each other."   
  


"That I'm positive of," Isabel said. 

----------------------------------------------------------

  
  
**_1986_**   
  
The rain was clattering against the tin plated roof. The little toddler was sitting on a blanket on the floor. The TV was on, its noise helplessly trying to drown the merciless sound of the pelting rain drops. No one paid any greater attention to the TV. The little two-year old was busy putting on and taking off the clothes of a fair-haired doll. The mother was in the adjoining room, the jerky and inconsistent music that was constructed under her fingertips drifting through the small house. The father was in the basement, his primary attention focused on the immovability of the hands of one of the old wall clock that had occupied a place above the oven in the kitchen. Its ticking language was missed in the simple household and the father had during the last two hours insisted on staring at the clock, hoping that it under the spell of his eyes would suddenly and mysteriously come to life.   
  
The little toddler looked at the doll with a soft smile gracing her soft features. The doll had been a present. She had gotten it the day before, and her mother had sewed the doll some clothes. Two small dresses. One blue with white flowers and one green with black dots. The little girl found the doll so pretty. The doll had blonde hair, so soft, and a little curly. She looked up at the door-frame, once again contemplating if she should call for her mother to show her how pretty the doll was. In that movement of turning her head towards the door frame, and tearing her dark big eyes away from the doll, her concentration was disturbed and her dreamworld was suddenly invaded with the harsh sounds coming from the TV. On the TV, the cartoons had been replaced by something completely else. The little girl curiously averted her eyes towards the screen, her small mind quickly taking in all the rapid images that flashed in front of her eyes. The images were feeding her mind, only giving off pictures, no meaning. But the little girl's eyebrows scrunched together as the people on the screen was crying, screaming and falling. With a sharp intake, the little innocent girl was on her back, her eyes tightly shut, her fists tightly clenched at the sides of her small body as the violent seizures rocked her body.   
  
Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in B-minor ended bluntly, subtracting its participation to the sounds vibrating through the house. The hands that had moved over the black and white keys were swiftly pulled away. Legs went into motion instantaneously, the rate of the heart increased unnaturally as the body moved towards the room that housed the TV, a couch, a small table, and for the time being a blanket and a little girl. The creaking of the door to the basement as it was torn open went unnoticed as the two adults rushed into the TV-room following the ear- and heart-piercing cry of their child. Their movements were shaky and insecure as they moved over their daughter's convulsing body. The scream was consistent, the images flashing by under the closed eye-lids of the two-year old too mind-numbing to be allowed to be experienced by any living creature. The little girl inhaled sharply, her body arching upwards. Her eye-lids slammed open, her eyes unseeing and her dark brown eyes misted. "Nooooooooo!! Please don't die! Please don't die!! I need you!! Please don't leave me! Please!! Nooooo!"   
  
Her body went limb, her head eyes rolling back in her head as she slumped together on the floor.   
  


"Oh my God! Oh my God! Do something! Is she dead...oh my God. Baby, can you hear me...?"   
  


"I'm calling the ambulance."   
  


"Baby. Can you hear me? Please answer, honey. Oh my God, oh my God. It's mommy. Please answer mommy."   
  


Once again a sharp intake of air, and her eyes flew open.   
  


"He died," the little girl said, her voice eerie. "He left me..." Then her mind lost the grip of consciousness once again and fell back into the cold but emotionless unconscious world.  
  
  


TBC...


	7. Chapter 7

Without further ado... :)  
  
  


**Chapter 7**

  
  
"Did you meet her?"   
  


"Yeah, I actually kind of bumped into her."   
  


He arched his eye-brow.   
  


"You kind of bumped into her?" he repeated incredulously.   
  


"Yeah," she answered nonchalantly and sat down on the bed, taking forward the snapple she had bought from the vending-machine in the lobby.   
  


"So...?"   
  


"So what?" she asked innocently, enjoying to see Max squirm.   
  


"Did she look okay? Did she look sad? What did she say?"   
  


"Wohoo, slow down bro! She looked amazing, like you didn't already know that," she smugly observed her brother blush, "and she didn't look sad. But she didn't say much."   
  


"Okaaayy," Max breathed. "Was there anything out of the ordinary then?"   
  


"Well, there was this one thing. I mentioned that I was working for David Anderson and I could have sworn that she looked frightened for a second."   
  


"Is he blond, pretty tall?"   
  


"Uhm.. yeah," Isabel said slowly, and suspiciously frowned. "Do you know him?"   
  


"He's been after her ever since he started there."   
  


"Oh. And _why_ didn't you think it was necessary for me to know this until now?"   
  


"I forget to tell you, I guess."   
  
"Right," Isabel said, not believing a word he said. He was a good liar. They all were, having been forced to live with a life-threatening secret. But when it came down to lying to her, he wasn't really good. She could spot the almost unnoticeable and subtle movements his fingers made as he was telling a lie. Fidgeting. And he was doing it now.   
  


"Max, you can't do this!"   
  


"What?"   
  


"You can't keep information from me! If we are going to help each other out we must be able to tell each other everything. _Everything_, Max!"   
  


Max sighed and rubbed his forehead before he looked up and met Isabel's eyes.   
"I'm sorry, Isabel. I don't know why I didn't tell you. I didn't think you would be working for him. I didn't know his name. I just knew what he looked like and that he worked in the same office as her. But I really think we should keep an eye on him. I don't trust him for a second."   
  


"Is he the 'bad guy'?" Isabel asked, wincing a little at how lame that sounded. But that was how it was living in their reality. Everything was more or less black and white. Either you were an enemy or a friend. Either a bad guy or a good guy.   
  


"You have to be careful with him, Izzy. I don't really like that you're working for him. If I had known-"   
  


"Max. Stop it, all right? I'm a big girl! I can take care of myself. Besides, I have an advantage that many women don't."   
  


"Karate lessons?" Max asked incredulously.   
  


"Wicked alien powers," Isabel said, mustering up her best spooky voice. 

---------------------------------------------------------

  
  
She was crawling on the ground, the mud creeping through her clothes, its cold texture seeping in to her bones. But she didn't notice. She wasn't aware of the screams of death around her. She wasn't aware of rain pelting down on her fragile body, drenching her in icy water. Her body was numb. She was dying. Inside.   
  
Silence.   
  
In her world everything was silent. She was being emptied, her soul being ripped from her.   
  
Piece by piece.   
  
One piece was seeping out between her legs. Viciously and hot. It burnt her skin with its presence. A constant reminder of what had been ripped from her. Stolen.   
  
Killed.   
  
She had only one thing left to live for and she was slowly being raped of it as well. She reached his side. He was kneeling in the cold mud, his body bent over. But she knew.   
  
She knew that he was dying.   
  
She reached out her hand to touch his hair. Her hand became covered in the warm blood that was trickling down his cheek from the fatal wound in his head. At her touch, he looked up at her. His eyes were dark, mournful, shimmering with tears. He was not crying at the realization that he was going to die. He was not crying because of the pain in his chest that was spreading throughout his whole body. The pain was too numbing for his mind to grasp. He was crying because of everything he had lost. Everything he was going to lose. The future was going to rip him from the only bright light he knew and it was only a matter of minutes before the future would arrive.   
  
"You have to fight! Don't leave me. Please don't leave me."   
  


"I..love..you."   
  


"Don't say that! You can't leave me."   
  


"I...can't..."   
  


"Yes, you can. You have to want to live."   
  


She could feel him reaching for her then, grabbing onto his only thread to life. It was the only thing that was making his heart still beat, even though the extent of his injuries should have forced him to draw his last breath a long time ago.   
  


"I love you," she whispered, her tears melting in the stream of water flooding down her face.   
  


"Please....stay safe," he whispered, his words gasping, reaching for the air that was incapable of reaching his air sacs due to the punctuated state of his lungs. He slumped together, his eyes leaving hers and with a freezing realization she felt him faltering. He couldn't hold on any longer. He was leaving this world.   
  
He was leaving her.   
  
"Noooooooo!! Please don't die! Please don't die!! I need you!!" she cried, her hands grabbing his torn clothes, trying to straighten his tired body up. Trying to save it from sinking down into the dark solace. His voice was so soft that it was almost an impossibility that she had heard him. But her whole attention was intently focused on him. She could hear nothing but him.   
  


"This isn't farewell, love."   
  
And he was gone.   
  
"Please don't leave me! Please!! Nooooo!"   
  
But she knew he was gone. The removal of his soul was devouring her soul, covering her in a cold darkness. She was dying.   
  
  
The knock ripped her out of the dream. Her heart was slamming in her chest, her body shining from the layer of sweat that covered her body. Her breathing was labored, as she tried to focus her eyes on the surroundings. Then there was a second knock, diverting her attention to where she was. In her apartment - in New York. With trembling hands, the cover was removed from her shaking body and her legs were swung over the edge of the bed. She shivered as her bare feet touched the cold floor. Her legs were shaky as she moved across the floor, barely supporting her weight. The mists of sleep were still clouding her mind, as she unlocked the lock and took off the latch to finally open the door. Then she was on the floor, her back aching from the contact of her body slamming into the wall. And then there was the pain. The pain that was trying to drag her down in the black safe state of the unconscious.   
  


"So you found him again."   
  
The man was hovering over her. The features of his face menacing and evil. Malicious. As she fought the unconscious, the face with such evil glaring at her, she was filled with the deepest sense of familiarity. His face was familiar. His blue eyes cold and his blond hair appearing dark in the shadows riveting over his face in the poorly lit apartment.   
  
This had happened before.   
  
Next his cold fingers were clasping her small neck, gradually squeezing the life out of her. She was gasping, trying to draw some oxygen into her burning lungs. She barely registered as his face leaned closer to her, his hot breath infecting her skin, as black spots were dancing a death dance before her eyes. But his evil hiss rang clearly in her ears.   
  


"You filthy bitch. I've done it once and it will be my pleasure doing it again."   
  
The pressure on her neck abruptly vanished, as his hands pulled away. But before she could let her legs buckle under her, his hard fingers gripped around her upper arm. She faintly registered that his other hand had moved to her abdomen before an explosive pain coursed through her body. She cried out as she felt the life inside of her diminishing, the coldness increasing.   
  


"You should have learned the last time." He hissed, and the pain increased, burning her insides.   
  
She bolted out of the dream, gasping for air. Her body was covered in sweat, her breathing uncontrolled. Her gasps ripping through her body as the insides of her air sacs burnt from the extortion. The inhuman cry died on her lips as her eyes accustomed themselves to the surroundings. But before she could fight off the ghosts of the dream that still hindered her body from functioning properly her hands instinctively moved to her abdomen. Feeling the loss.   
  
The loss of the baby she'd never had. 

--------------------------------------------

  
  
Liz sighed deeply. Only rain. It was only rain. Rain. Consisting of water. Water that she drank, that was in her body. Why was it bothering her so much? It kept tugging at her bones, making them ache and her senses went into overdrive again. It was about five p.m. and she really had to get some more work done, but all she wanted to do was to get home and hide away from the rain clouds that drifted outside the large window, making the sky dark gray. Of course, going home also meant that she had to go out in the rain. She felt handicapped. Why was it such a big deal? She didn't know. She had never truly received an answer to that. She suspected that her mind knew, but for some reason the knowledge and the answers had been suppressed to the deepest and most inaccessible caverns of her unconscious. Like almost everything else that had happened during her childhood. She knew that strange things had happened. She knew that she had not been what you would call a regular child. Her mind had effectively sorted out what was good and what was bad. The good was cherished in her memory. The times with her father...and her mother. The bad was put in a dark room, the door was closed and the key was thrown away. Sometimes she regretted that she couldn't remember everything about her childhood, but on the other hand, if she had been so urgent to repress it, it must've been bad. Too bad to want to remember. Rain.   
  
A knock on her office door pulled her out of her memories.   
  


"Hey," a female voice said, and Liz turned away from the window to see Isabel's face poking in between the open door and the doorframe. "You're going home?"   
  


"I don't know, actually," Liz answered. "I probably shouldn't, but this raining is really..."   
  


"Depressing," Isabel filled in as Liz's voice trailed off.   
  


Liz smiled weakly. "Exactly."   
  


"You don't like the rain either, huh?" Isabel asked, opening the door some more and stepping inside Liz's office. Liz shook her head, her arms unconsciously wrapping around her body to fight of the chill that had begun to settle itself in her bones. Isabel registered the movement, and was once again a little puzzled. This girl just didn't make any sense to her.   
  


"I'm from Roswell, New Mexico, so I'm not really used to it raining this much."   
  


"Isn't that where the aliens come from?" Liz asked, arching one eye-brow.   
  


"You just had to bring that one up, didn't you?" Isabel asked, smiling.   
  


"Sorry," Liz said, a smile draping itself over her features as well, reaching her eyes and making them sparkle. "It's just...it's such a infamous place, right?"   
  


"Yeah. It's pretty goofy," Isabel said stepping closer to Liz. "We have aliens everywhere, at least in the form of restaurants and souvenirs."   
  
"Must be interesting," Liz said.   
  


"I would not really use the word 'interesting', but yeah. Although, having lived there your whole life it becomes part of everyday life. It never was something extraordinary to us. I even think it's weird to step into a restaurant where there are _no_ alien-themed food."   
Liz giggled. She liked Isabel. She had already forgotten about the rain. Well, that was until the sound of thunder ripped through the sky, the blazing light of a lightning following closely behind. Liz involuntarily shivered.   
  


"So, what about it?" Isabel asked. "You're going home too? I was hoping we could keep each other company. I really don't like this kind of weather."   
  


Liz nodded, no need to think any further about it. She hated being out alone in the streets, especially after everything that had happened to her lately.   
"Yes. I think I'll take you up on that offer," she said, moving to her desk to collect all her papers.   
  


"Great," Isabel said, relief flowing through her as she was able to keep Liz away from the streets in a lonesome state for one more night, easing Max's worries. 

------------------------------------------------

  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow," Liz said to the girl in front of her.   
  


"Yeah," she answered. "Bye!"   
  


"Bye." With a smile on her face, which was very peculiar for being her considering the fact that it was still raining, she climbed the stairs to the gate, and entered the portal code. She stifled a yawn as she pushed the door open. Even though the walk home had been great, Isabel was great fun to talk to, her body visibly relaxed the moment she stepped inside and left the rain behind her, on the other side of the door.   
  


She decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator. She felt jumpy, and she figured that she needed to deplete some energy. After four flight of stairs she reached the door with the sign "Elizabeth Parker" on the mail drop. That's when she felt it, at the back of her neck. She was being watched. However, it was a weird feeling. She wasn't afraid. Her hand stretched out and turned the switch in the well which made the well bathe in light as she simultaneously turned around. Previously hidden in the shadows stood that man. The man who had saved her. The man who had run away from her. The man she hadn't been able to thank. The man with the eyes.   
  
Those soft eyes of his, which she in the light could see were the colors of golden warm amber, grew larger as he realized that his cover was blown.   
  


"What...who.." Liz stuttered, unable to recuperate quickly enough from the fact that she was now standing in front of the man that she had so dearly wanted to speak to earlier. But before she could form a coherent sentence, even before she could form a consistent thought, he brushed past her, disappearing down the stairs. No longer caring about the rain, Liz ran down the stairs after him, not intending to lose sight of him again. Unfortunately, his legs were still longer than hers. Hence, he still moved faster than her.   
  


"Please, wait!!" she yelled as she saw him plunge throw the front door. The door slammed shut in front of her and felt heavy and stiff as she had to summon all her strength to open it. The heavy rain drops started to fall on her head, almost suffocating her with their abrupt arrival and intensity. She gasped for air for a few seconds, the rain creating trickles of water streaming down her face and into her mouth.   
  
"Wait!!" she yelled again, as she saw his back grew smaller as he was slowly disappearing from her again. She took a deep breath and ran down the stairs, fortunate enough not to slip on the wet concrete. Her small feet hit the water, making it splash around her, hitting her legs, soaking her. A couple of meters in front of her she saw him dive into an alley. She quickened her pace, knowing that she was not yet too far away and also knowing that some of the alleys were dead ends. Maybe he had chosen badly. She turned the corner to the alley and stopped dead in her tracks. Her breathing was labored, the sound of it raspy as it ripped in her throat. Her lungs were aching, dry from the rapid inhaling and exhaling. Her clothes were clinging to her body like a second skin and her hair clung close to her face. But it was what her eyes saw that did the most effect on her body. The man she'd been chasing, her savior, was laying on the ground. His body was convulsing, violent tremors surging through his body. Without a further thought she stepped closer to the body that was trapped in such a seemingly painful state.   
  
  


TBC...


	8. Chapter 8

Hi guys...  
  
Akashaa - Girl, thank you SO much for the feedback!! I REALLY appreciate it!!! :D :D  
  
  


**Chapter 8**   
  


  
He slowly urged his body to return to consciousness. This was the worst premonition that he'd ever had. He could still feel its aftershocks riveting through his body, and he sensed that he had been unconscious for some time. As he gradually returned to consciousness he realized that the material underneath him was soft...not hard. He was pretty certain that he had been in an alley when the premonition had hit him and concrete was hard. He focused more on exhorting those cloudy mists away from his mind. He needed to wake up. Something was not right.   
  
  
_The rain was pouring down, its coldness chilling her to the bones. Her body was trembling in reaction to the coldness, but her mind was not concerned with what her body was doing. Her eyes were on the man laying on the ground, obviously having some kind of seizure. She couldn't see his face. His back was turn towards her, his legs pulled up in a fetus position. The first thought that had hit her was that the man in front of her was suffering from an epileptic seizure, but his posture contradicted that theory. She did not have any medical training, but she knew that when someone was cramping they often stretched their limbs out in all directions. They never pulled their body together like this. It was as if he was cramping, but at the same time relaxing. He also seemed to be trapped in a comatose state. Thunder ripped through the air and the rain came pelting down even worse, if that was even possible. She tore her eyes away from the shaking body and turned her face upwards, feeling the hard raindrops strike her face in an inconsolable repetitive manner. Dark gray clouds were floating by fast on the night sky, hiding the beautiful stars, making the world a much scarier place. For a second she lost herself in that sky and she could with an almost abnormal intensity hear all the sounds around her. She could her the faint sound of the man's clothes as they were brushing against the ground, she could hear the meowing of a cat a couple of alleys away. She could hear the rushing sound of the warm blood pumping through her veins and then the sky was lit up by another lightning and she plummeted back to Earth. She turned her head towards him again, and came to a decision. She should call for help. _  
  
  
She could see him awakening. The small fluttering of his eyelids, the movements of his eyeballs underneath gave him away. She mentally tried to prepare herself and then he opened his eyes and she realized that he was terrified.   
  
  
_"Mr. Smith? Hi, it's Elizabeth...Elizabeth Parker." Pause. "Yeah... I'm really sorry for calling you at this hour but I need your help." Pause. "A man is hurt, and I need to get him inside my apartment. Can you come right away?" Pause. "Thank you so much." She looked up at the street sign to her left and gave him the directions. _  
  
  
His mind quickly registered the surroundings. He was indoors, he was laying in a bed, and _she_ was sitting on a chair right in front of him.   
  
  
_Elizabeth heard a car approaching and slowing down. She peeked out from behind the house wall and saw her boss' black Mercedes coming closer. She waved with her hands over her head to get his attention. He brought the car to a screeching halt and was out of the car in no time. __  
  
_

_"My God, Ms. Parker. You're all wet," he said, a concerned look covering his features as he made his way over to her. __  
  
_

_"You gotta help me. I think he's having an epileptic seizure or something." __  
  
_

_Mr. Smith looked over Liz, which her humble height allowed him to do, and saw the man laying on the ground. He was quickly by his side, rolling him onto his back. Liz sat down on the other side of the man. The man had his eyes closed, but his lips were constantly moving as if they were forming words. But no sounds were heard. __  
  
_

_"We have to get him out of here," Mr. Smith said. "Do you know him?" __  
  
_

_"Yeah, he's a friend of mine," Liz said quickly. __  
  
_

_"Okay, we have to get him to the hospital," Mr. Smith said. __  
  
_

_"Do we really have to?" Liz asked. __  
  
Mr. Smith looked at her with a bewildered expression on his face.   
"Of course. Ms. Parker. He can die," Mr. Smith said.   
  
_

_Liz didn't know why she didn't want to take the man to the hospital. It was like something in the back of her head was nagging at her, begging her to not take him to the hospital.. Maybe it was instinct. She just knew that the man would be in greater hazard if he was brought to the hospital than whatever was happening to him now was. __  
  
_

_"I know, I know," Liz said, the rain dripping down in her mouth and she suddenly felt the urge to retch. The rain was suffocating her and it was something about this whole situation that was reminding her of something. Something terrible. She knew that she had to lie. Otherwise Mr. Smith would continue on insisting on taking him to the hospital. __  
  
_

_"He will be fine, Mr. Smith. He has some pills at my place, he left them there, I just need to get him there, and give him the pills when he calms down." __  
  
_

_Mr. Smith looked at her with plain suspicion in his eyes. That didn't really make any sense to him. But it was something in Ms. Parker's eyes that told him that he should do what she asked. There was an intensity, but also fear. __  
  
Mr. Smith looked down at the young man, seizures coursing through his body, making his fingers twitch and his legs alternate between stiffening and relaxing. He really should be going to a hospital. But something told him that Ms. Parker wouldn't give in and they certainly couldn't be out in the rain any longer. If the young man didn't die of his seizures, he could die from pneumonia, and judging from the drenched state that Ms. Parker was in, so could she. He swallowed and hoped that he wasn't going to regret this decision.   
  
_

_"Okay, let's try to get him to my car," he said. He moved around the young man, kneeling behind the top of his head and took a hold of the man's upper arms, and started to lift him. Liz got the message and took a hold of the man's feet and lifted them off the ground._   
  
  
"Hey..." Liz said softly, feeling the strongest urge to want to remove that fear from his eyes.   
  


"Where am I?" he croaked, his voice dry. But he already knew the answer.   
  


"You're in my apartment," Liz answered, simultaneously reaching for something behind her. She stretched out the glass of water for him to take. "Here, drink some water."   
  


He accepted the glass, his movements cautious. As he had removed the glass from her hand, Liz leaned backwards against the back of the chair again, her eyes not leaving him for a second.   
  


"Why am I here?" he asked, after some gulps of the water.   
  


"I found you in an alley. You were having some kind of seizure. I thought it might be epilepsy. Your tongue could fall back in your throat, blocking your air-ways. I had to do something. So I called a friend from work and we brought you here."   
  
"How long have I been out?"   
  


She glanced at the watch positioned around her wrist. "For about one hour."   
  


"I have to go," he said and started to rise from his horizontal position. That's when he noticed that he had barely any clothes on.   
  


"You were all wet," she informed him, as if she had read his mind and a faint blush grazed her cheeks. "I've hung them to dry in my bathroom. I could've put them in the drier which is in the basement, but then I would've had to leave you alone. And I didn't want to do that. I wasn't sure if your seizures would be returning. What was that anyway?"   
  
He swallowed, and pulled the white covers up to cover his bare upper body some more. She had taken everything off, except his boxers.   
  


"Uhm...yeah it was epilepsy," he answered. He had no idea what he had done when he was unconscious. He could've said anything, she could've heard anything.   
She nodded slowly, but from her blank expression he figured that she didn't fully believe him.   
  


"Are the clothes dry?" he asked, as silence started to spread itself over and between them.   
She slowly shook her head.   
  


"No, I don't think so. Do you want something else to drink? Are you warm enough, 'cause I can make you some tea," she suggested.   
He narrowed his eyes. It seemed as if she didn't want him to leave.   
  
She mentally whacked herself over her head for that one. It made it look like she wanted him to stay. Because she didn't want that, did she? He had been all secretive, basically stalking her and now this mysterious stranger was in her apartment, in her bed. She had put herself in a pretty vulnerable state. If he decided that he wanted to kill her, it would not be a hard thing to do. No one would hear, no one would see. But it was something about him that made her want to trust him.   
  


"I really should get going," he said slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. Was he staring at her? Yep, he was staring at her. But it made her all fuzzy inside. That was weird...   
  


"I think my father has left some clothes here that you can borrow," Liz said and rose from the bed. She took a robe that her father used to wear as he stayed with her and threw it on the bed. She could easily sense his discomfort at being half naked. He was glued to the bed, the covers almost up to his ears. Like she hadn't seen him when she had undressed him. Her face went warm as her thoughts lingered to the memory of his well-defined chest, then she gave herself a mental shake.   
  


"Here, put this on," she said, before she moved to the closet to find some clothes.   
  
He slowly crept out from underneath the covers and slipped his arms into the robe. He shook off the feelings of loneliness as he left her scent behind him in the bed and moved towards her.   
  


"I'll go check on my clothes in the bathroom," he informed her.   
  


"Are you really okay?" she asked, looking at him with the deepest concern in her eyes. He felt himself being trapped, captured, by those big dark eyes. "Perhaps you shouldn't be up walking yet."   
  


"No, it's okay," he answered, shrugging. "I'm fine."   
  


He tore his eyes away from hers and moved out of the bedroom. His eyes darted around the apartment, trying to localize the bathroom.   
  


"On your right, second door," her voice reached his ears. He walked into the bathroom. It was small, but cozy. Very personal. He could feel her all around him. He spotted his clothes hanging from the thin wire that held up the shower curtain. They were definitely _not_ dry. But with one sweep of his hand, the water evaporated and the clothes dried. He took down the clothes and started to dress.   
  
Liz couldn't hide her surprise as she saw him walk into the bedroom, wearing his jeans and his shirt. His very _dry_ jeans and shirts. She might not know much about clothes, but at least she knew that jeans took a long time to dry, especially if they had been soaked.   
  


"They had dried," he informed her.   
  


"I can see that," she said. Something was way off here. "Uhm... do you want something to eat. Something to drink?" She didn't know why she was stressing those things. It was as if she was trying to come up with suggestions to make him stay.   
  


"No, I-I need to get going, really. Someone's waiting for me, probably very worried right now."   
  


"Yeah, I can understand that. Can you just answer one question first?"   
He wasn't so sure he wanted to.   
  
"Sure," he said.   
  


"Why do you keep following me?"   
  


And there it was.   
  


"I-I don't follow you," he answered. Yeah, great going there, Einstein! He thought. She will never see through that lie!   
  


"How do you know that I'm in danger?" she asked.   
  


"You mean the rapist...well, I was just passing by and I saw you," he answered. She didn't look convinced.   
  


"Maybe. But what about the first time? You practically attacked me, just to say that I was in danger. Not really the best way to inspire confidence. Maybe you should change your methods of how you inform people."   
  


He didn't answer, his eyes were glued to the floor.   
  


"I really need to go," he said and turned to walk out but her hand on his arm stop him. He could almost feel the softness of her hand burning through his shirt.   
  


"Wait," she said. He inhaled deeply and slowly before he turned around.   
  
_Please don't leave me_.   
  
"You can't just continue stalking me. Why are you doing that?" she asked.   
  


He swallowed. "I need to protect you," he mumbled, almost inaudible.   
  


"From what?" she asked, fear seizing her.   
  


"I don't know," he answered and looked directly at her. His eyes were so intense that she forgot to take the next breath. He was hurting. Not physical pain, but emotional. She got the strongest feeling that she wanted to calm him again. Make him understand that she was not in danger, and that everything was going to be okay. She wanted to remove the haunted look in those beautiful eyes of his. "That's why I keep following you around. I don't know where something is going to happen. I don't know who is going to do it, if there even is a who. I don't know what is going to happen or when. I just now that something is about to happen to you...and I have to stop it."   
  


She stared at him, thoughts swirling around in her head. She didn't know him, but she could tell that he was telling the truth by the difficulty he had to get the words out and the inability to hide the hurt and sadness from seeping into every word.   
  


"How do you know this?" she asked, her voice thin.   
  


He looked away, leaving her feeling cold without his intense eyes caressing her face.   
  


"Are you...like.."   
  


Max looked up at her as her voice trailed off. Did she know? The silence was aching between them, stretching until he barely could let his breath out to inhale anew. He could hear the pounding of his heart in his ears.   
  


"Are you...psychic?" she asked.   
  


He felt relief float him, but simultaneously he was disappointed. Disappointed that she was able to provide him with a good explanation to hide behind.   
  


A good lie.   
  
Somehow he felt the strongest unease lying to her, and that puzzled him, since keeping secrets had become an integrated part of his personality. Something that he had to do every day of his life just to keep safe. To protect himself from whatever, whoever, wanted him dead. He nodded his head in answer to her question.   
  


"Something like that," he mumbled.   
  


She was just staring at him, but she didn't look surprised. He could only find calmness in her eyes.   
  


Understanding.   
  


She smiled slightly as she saw him relax, the evident tension in his shoulders evaporating.   
  


"What's your name?" she asked. And it was really a natural question. Their paths had crossed three times and they had yet to know each others' names. Nevertheless, the question seemed so much more important. As if something was about to happen. As if something was about to change.   
  


"Max," he answered.   
  


"Thank you, Max," Liz said softly. "Thank you for trying to protect me."   
  


He just nodded slightly, his body more or less paralyzed by the glow in her eyes. Her soft smile felt as if it was thawing parts of his heart that had never been awake.   
  
That had been frozen.   
  
"I-I should go," Max said again without making any indication that he was actually going to walk towards the front door. His feet were glued to the floor, his eyes being drawn in by hers. It was the panic that flashed in her eyes as he spoke that woke him from his mental slumber.   
  
_Please don't leave me_.   
  
She felt the strangest feeling encircling her, pulling her down and almost drowning her. The phrase from her dream flashed through her mind. Not buried deeply enough to not find its way up into her awareness. A numbness was slowly creeping inside her body as she mustered up a smile, composing herself. Shielding her feelings from the outside world.   
  


"Yeah," she said, and he wondered if that flicker of panic that he had seen in her eyes had even been there to begin with or if he had just imagined it. He suddenly felt that he shouldn't leave. That he should tell her more. Something was pulling inside of him – pushing to be realized. Something instinctive. But since his first conscious day on this Earth he had known that instincts meant alien. And alien meant something he wasn't comfortable about. A side of him that he hated.   
  
The unknown.   
  
He turned and walked towards the front door, feeling as he was about to make the biggest mistake ever. She was watching his back move away from her.   
  
_Please don't leave me_.   
  
She tried to shake the deep feelings of dread and reached for that part inside of her that was the calm and composed part of her. She took a firm grip on it, trying to stop herself from falling, plummeting to a part where she didn't recognize her feelings. Somewhere away from the familiar. She could feel the calmness supporting her, spreading into her, and she waited for the relief that always accompanied it. But it never came. The fear was still there, like an impenetrable wall that she had no permission to penetrate and had no right to take down. It was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't listen. She couldn't. She couldn't ignore that it felt as if something that had been building inside of her the last couple of hours was hastily mouldering, crumbling away into nothingness. Hopelessness.   
  
But then he stopped, with his hand clutching down on the door handle and turned towards her.   
"Please...be careful."   
  
_Please....stay safe_.   
  
She looked into his beautiful eyes, which were still harboring the fear that she wanted to take away, but there was also something there that she couldn't quite understand. But I made her feel safe and all she wanted to do was to ease his mind. She nodded slowly.   
  


"I promise," she said. She could see how he seemed to relax somewhat, and then he turned again and without another word he opened the door and walked out of her apartment.   
  
She closed her eyes, trying to fight off all the images from her nightmare that kept trying to invade her. She had always been able to forget her nightmares...it was difficult, but with time comes habits and she was pretty good at it by now. But this nightmare wouldn't let go off her. She couldn't explain why but it was as if it had been triggered by this Max somehow. That Max had awakened the nightmare anew, in an effort to try to get her to listen...

TBC...


	9. Chapter 9

Hi!!

**Akashaa** – Many hugs to you!! Thank you sooo much for the feedback!! I'm so happy to hear that you're enjoying my story!! :D

**Chapter 9**   
  


  
_2006 - one year earlier_   
  
Max knuckles lightly impacted the wooden door, giving off a knocking sound, before he opened the door slowly and as quietly as he could. She might be asleep and he didn't want to wake her. As he walked into the room, he was overwhelmed by the stuffy air of the room. It was radiating with sickness. He saw her laying in her bed, looking awfully small under the layers of covers that were spread over her. She turned her head towards him and tried to smile. But she was too tired.   
  


"Hi beautiful," Max said gently, as he slowly made his way up to her bed. "How are you feeling?"   
  


She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again. As if the mere strain of conjuring up an answer forced her to gather her strength. "Like I've been through a mincing-machine." Her voice was strained, barely above a whisper. He kneeled beside her bed, his heart aching for her, and tenderly removed some of the damp tresses that were sticking to her sleek forehead with his hand.   
  


"That bad, huh?" he asked.   
  
She coughed and Max couldn't stop himself from wincing at the raspy and painful sound of it. He could literally feel her stepping closer and closer to the brink of death. She was running a fever. Her cheeks were flushed, looking almost misplaced in her deathly pale and emaciated face. Beads of perspiration were covering her forehead. She had lost a lot of hair during the chemotherapy and she looked like a pale reminiscent of herself. Almost unrecognizable in comparison to the energy ball who had loved life. She was now resting at her home. She had ended the chemotherapy a week ago. The side-effects had been too tormenting and she had finally reached the decision that she would rather trade the chemotherapy for living without its side-effects than maybe gaining some more time here on Earth. Because it was final. She _was_ dying and the chemotherapy could only prolong her lifetime with maybe a month...tops. She wanted something that resembled life in the last days of her existence. She didn't want to throw up until she fainted, she didn't want to feel as if her head was repeatedly being thrown into a wall. She wanted to spend her last days as akin to normalcy as she could. Experiencing every last breath and cherishing every last touch. But her body was so cold, even with the heat of the fever cursing through her worn body.   
  
Her body was fighting her and she was giving up on resisting. Max had reached his decision, and it was now or never – literally.   
  


"Maria, I want to try something," he said.   
  


"What?" she whispered, her breathing coming in quick puffs as the violent cough had depleted her energy.   
  


"Do you trust me Maria?"   
  


She didn't know why, but that question unsettled her and she gathered her energy to open her eyes and search his face. He looked different. It was still the same warm and secure amber eyes. It was still the same boy that had helped her when she had fallen off the swinging-set when they were seven. It was merely his features that had changed.   
  


"Of course... I trust you...Max," she got out, the strain of the coughing still plaguing her lungs and her ability to get air into her lungs long enough to form words.   
  


"I need you to relax, Maria," Max said softly and Maria was puzzled by the fear that she saw on his face. What was going on? She wanted to lift her hand and put it on his cheek, to calm him. But she couldn't. Her body wasn't cooperating with her mind any longer. It was giving up on her, leaving her to the mercy of the menacing abnormal cell growth that was invading her body, spreading at an tremendous rate with every passing second.   
  


"What's...." She coughed, and Max reached for the glass of water on her beside table. He put his hand behind her head and lifted it up, supporting it as he put the glass to her sore lips and moistened her burning throat with the cool and lean water.   
  


"What's...wrong?" she asked as he removed the glass.   
  


"Just trust me, Maria. I'm going to make you feel better."   
  
What? He was going to make her feel better? How was he-   
But as her incoherent thoughts tumbled around in her tired mind, his soft voice put a stop to it as he voiced his request. The request that would signify the beginning of something that would change her life forever.   
  


"You have to look into my eyes, Maria." His hand was still behind her neck from helping her drink the water and she felt something similiar to a tingly sensation.   
Her answer was subtle, but he could read her so well that the small change of her features gave him the answer he wanted.   
  


"Just...take a deep breath and let your mind go blank," Max said gently.   
  


Maria tried her best to focus on some sort of calmness inside of her, while she simultaneously tried to force the confusing feelings and thoughts at Max's odd behavior to the back of her head. The last coherent thought she had was that she had never before noticed the intensity of Max's eyes, then she felt warmth flow through her. Well, that wasn't quite the right word either. She felt like energy was being surged into her. She felt like she was a big battery, being recharged with a huge generator. However, as quick as it had started it was over, at least to her. To Max it had been an tremendous demand on his body. He could barely stand up as he moved his hands away from her body. He staggered over to a chair, his breathing erratic, his forehead glittering in the sun that bathed in through the windows.   
She was looking at him, confused. Her pain was gone.   
  
Dissolved.   
  
She felt light as a feather and she didn't think that her physical body had _ever_ felt this good. As her body slowly accustomed itself to its new healthy state, her mind started to pick up and puzzle together what just had happened. Her mouth was hanging open, her eyes fixed on him as if she just looked at him hard enough it would be revealed to her what had just happened. What he had done to her. Because he _had_ done something to her. Something that wasn't...   
  
Something abnormal.   
  
And that scared her. Knowing that she had known the person that was hunching over in the chair practically all her life, without _really_ knowing him.   
  


"What did you do?" she whispered, her voice unrecognizable.   
  


He looked up at her then and her heart broke as she saw the fear in his eyes.   
  


"I...I healed you," he answered, the strong but quiet man she was used to crumbling down in front of her eyes.   
  


"Wh..how?" she asked mechanically. Her voice dripped with confusion, but she was trying, really trying, to understand. Her first instinct was to run away. But this was Max. The same person who had always been there for her. Had always stood up for her. Had protected her. The same person who wouldn't hurt a fly. Her heart knew that he wasn't dangerous, that she _couldn't_ fear him. But her mind was whispering inside of her head, trying to convince her not to trust him. To get those legs (which now, thanks to Max, were working just fine) moving towards the door and tell someone. Anyone.   
  
He was staring at the floor, and as well as she knew him, she knew that he was feeling guilty. Why, she couldn't understand. And he was afraid. Maybe just as afraid of her as she was of him.   
  


"I couldn't let you die," Max said as his eyes were staring at the floor, his voice so soft that she barely heard it. However, the silence was so thick between them that it would've been impossible to miss.   
  


"I-I don't understand," Maria said as she slowly rose into sitting position and slowly pulled the covers off her body, testing the strength in her arms and her legs. Only the strength to be able to hold up her head amazed her.   
  


"I'm not like other people, Maria," Max said, and looked up as he heard the soft brushing sound of her bare feet touching the wooden floor. She was walking towards him, somewhat staggering. The insecure movements were nevertheless not caused by sickness or lack of strength but the amount of emotions that were running through her. She stopped about a meter from him, her heart wanting to take his fears and insecurities away. Wanting to reassure him that he was still the same to her and that whatever he was could never frighten her. But there was still some part deep down in her body, in her mind, that feared him. Feared the unknown. A deep fear of the incomprehensible.   
  
"Who are you?" she asked slowly, inwardly wincing at how mistrusting her voice sounded. She realized that it even carried some hint of disgust.   
  


"I'm not...normal," Max said, wondering how he should tell her. How did you tell one of your best friend that you were not human, that you were an alien? If it hadn't been his life he would probably have been laughing at the ridicule of the situation. But this was his life. He had lived every second of it. Had endured every paranoid glance over his shoulder, every nightmare of being tortured by people in black suits, every lie he had to tell his parents, his friends...Maria. Now there wouldn't been any lies any longer. Everything was really only _one_ lie...but unfortunately that lie was his whole life. He was afraid. Afraid that she would turn her back on him. Afraid that she would look at him differently. Afraid that she would do all the things that she had already done. Look at him...in fear and disgust. He could lose her. But he wasn't willing to continue lying to her. That time had passed.   
  
"Max...I don't understand," Maria whispered, trying to get herself to go closer to him, but something kept her standing frozen in her place about one meter away from him.   
  


"You know the weather balloon that fell," Max said.   
  


Maria furrowed her brows in confusion. What the hell was he doing? Why was he starting to talk about weather balloons at a time like this? When all her existential beliefs had been questioned.   
  


"What are you talking about, Max?"   
  


"In 1947," Max insisted, and it was something in his pleading look that drowned her annoyance.   
  


"Yeah...the crash," she said, willing to go along with this, although she had no clue as to what he was aiming at.   
  


"_I_ was in the crash," Max said.   
  


"What? You were in the crash?" Maria exclaimed, her voice greater in intensity as she quickly did the math in her head. "You're a little too young to be in a crash that happened 1947." She didn't really think of what his statement _really_ meant.   
  


Max winced at her disbelief, at the ridicule he heard draping her words.   
He nodded slowly.   
  


"I'm not human, Maria," Max said.   
  
Maria stared at him for what seemed as an eternity, before the sides of her mouth started to twitch and it was Max's turn to helplessly stare at her in disbelief as she started laughing. Funny, it all had gone much better when he had imagined it in his head. Her laughter intensified, making her double over.   
  


"Yeah...then"   
  


gasp for air from the fit of laughter   
  


"what"   
  


gasp   
  


"are you? A mouse?"   
  


She started laughing even harder. Max just sat there, wondering what he had done to deserve this kind of fate.   
  


She looked up for a second, and her laughter was abruptly cut off as she caught the look in his eyes. The silence lowered itself over them again as hastily as you switch off a lamp.   
  


"I'm an alien, Maria."   
  


Now she was not laughing. She was shocked. She looked like she was going to faint. Or run out of the room.   
  
"You're kidding," she whispered, trying to make an adamant statement but her trembling voice gave her away. She even tried to find the humor again. Humor was good, humor meant that you didn't have to face the reality. But she couldn't. She knew that this was real. She knew that _he_ was real. And she realized that she wasn't going to run away, she was going to stand by him.   
  


"I cannot say that I understand, Max," she said slowly. "I want to laugh at it all...but I know that...somehow... it's true. I'm free from incurable cancer. _Incurable_. And you put your hand on me and I'm healthy again. So...the only plausible explanation really is that you're an...an...alien." The word felt strange on her tongue. Living in Roswell that word was a part of her daily vocabulary. But now the word had acquired another meaning. It wasn't any longer something ridiculous. It was something that actually existed. Existed in a boy that was more human than anyone else she had ever known...

TBC...


	10. Chapter 10

**Akashaa **– my faitful reader. Thank you so much!!!

**Chapter 10**   
  
There was a knock on the door. A man in his middle years put down the knife he had been using to cut the lettuce, dried his hands off on his apron and made his way out of the kitchen towards the front door. He unlocked the door, and opened it, only to be met by his beautiful daughter lighting up his world with one of her radiating smiles.   
  


"Hi daddy," she said, and he was (not for the first time) marvelled by the fact that this beautiful woman was actually his daughter. Her voice and appearance still held an innocence that was often lost in the teenage years, but she was a woman now. A radiating woman. Nevertheless, in his eyes she was still his baby girl. She leaned forward and pecked him on the cheek, before brushing past him into the warm and comforting light of the small hallway.   
  


"Hey pumpkin," he answered, his own smile grazing his features. "I'm so glad you could make it."   
  
"For you daddy, I'll do anything," Liz teased, even though they were both aware of the truth in the words.   
  


"Let me take your jacket," Mr. Parker reached out to help Liz out of her jacket. His fingers came into contact with the wet layer of water that had formed on the outside of the jacket.   
  


"Is it still raining?" he asked. He hadn't really looked out the last couple of hours. He had been busy in the kitchen. He wasn't really good at cooking, but he always wanted to do his best when he had his daughter over for dinner.   
  


"Yeah, a little," Liz said distractedly, an absent-mindedness that wasn't lost to her father. He remembered far too well Liz's somewhat bizarre relation to rain. "Mmmm, that smells really good." And Liz disappeared, letting her nose direct her feet.   
Mr. Parker shook his head with a smile on his face as he hung up Liz's jacket on a hanger. He found Liz in the kitchen, having already taken the knife and was continuing what her father had started.   
  


"No, Liz. Don't do that," Mr. Parker said and stepped up to her.   
  


"It's no problem, daddy," Liz said and put a piece of lettuce in her mouth. "I like cooking...and you don't. Let's call it even, huh?"   
  


Mr. Parker shook his head again.   
  


"Okay, I can't argue with that," he said. "I'll set the table instead." 

-----------------------------------------------------

  
  
"So, how's work?" Mr. Parker asked, as he passed Liz the potatoes.   
  


"It's good," Liz answered, balancing one potato on the spoon before placing it on her plate. 

"Oh, there's this new girl that seems very nice."   
  


Mr. Parker's eyes quickly left his plate and he looked up at his daughter.   
  


"Oh?" he prompted, trying to sound casual. But it was difficult since Liz had never shown such interest in someone else....well, not except that kid. What was his name again...Albin...Alec..?   
  


"Yeah, her name is Isabel and we actually have quite a lot in common."   
  


"Really?" Mr. Parker asked, his interest peaked. Who was this girl who had been able too capture her daughter's interest?   
  
"Yeah...uhm...we both hate the rain," Liz explained. Mr. Parker couldn't help but smile. Even though Liz was in her twenties, she still acted as an excited six-year-old when she was describing people she found interesting. It was probably due to the fact that she had never had anything that resembled a normal childhood, in more ways than one. She had missed the experience of having friends. She was afraid of getting hurt and the older she got the more frightened she became of making contact with people. The whole friendship concept was a new experience for her.   
  


"You do, huh?" Mr. Parker asked, a teasing note in his voice.   
  
Liz nodded and then smiled self-consciously. "I'm being really stupid, right?"   
  


Mr. Parker laughed softly while shaking his head. "No sweetheart. You could never be stupid. I'm just so happy that you feel that you've found someone to talk to. You really need that."   
Liz nodded, and then reached for the lettuce, reaching it out for her father to take across the table. "Some lettuce, dad?" And Mr. Parker understood that the subject would have no further discussion. Liz had never been comfortable talking about her feelings and especially not if it meant talking about the sore spot that meant having no friends to share her life experiences or thoughts with. It was a lonely existence and Mr. Parker knew exactly what it felt like. 

-----------------------------------------------

  
  
Mr. Parker stepped into the dining room to find Liz standing by the piano. Her back was facing him, but he could see the tension in her shoulders. He observed how she was slowly tracing the contours of the keys in an almost hypnotic manner. She had done that a lot before – just after the accident, but then she had stopped. Mr. Parker worriedly wondered what had changed. Why was she doing it again?   
  


"Honey?" he asked tentatively.   
  


Liz twirled around, guilt flashing over her face. But she soon regained her composure. As always.   
  


"Oh daddy, you scared me," Liz said.   
  


"Are you okay, honey?" Mr. Parker asked.   
  


Liz nodded and slightly waved with her hand in front of her to show the ridicule of what her father was implying.   
  
"I'm fine, daddy. Now, do we have any delicious dessert prepared? I love your desserts, you know-"   
  


"Liz. Is there something bothering you? Maybe we should talk about it."   
  


He could see how she was literally closing herself down. She had never been the same since the accident. She was difficult to talk to when it came to feelings and especially when it came down to showing weakness. She was struggling so hard to show the world that she was fine. That nothing was the matter with her. Nothing at all.   
  


"I'm fine daddy, everything's fine," Liz repeated and her father could sense a twitch of annoyance in her voice.   
  


"Okay," he sighed in resignation. He didn't want to waste any time with her on nagging. "So, tell me more about this girl....Isabel." 

----------------------------------------------------

  
  
Liz lifted the pot with hot water from the hot plate, and poured the steaming liquid into her blue-colored cup.   
  


"Hi Liz."   
  


The sound of his voice almost made her drop the pot of boiling hot water. Her throat constricted and she suddenly had difficulties breathing. Her hands were slightly trembling as she put the pot down on the hot plate, but the trembles were hidden from everyone but an extremely perceptive observer. She turned around slowly, painfully aware of the thundering of her heart in her chest.   
  


"It's Elizabeth," she corrected.   
  


He arched one of his fair eye-brows, the smug plastered over his face lingering in the corners of his mouth.   
  


"Oh, I'm sorry, _Elizabeth_. I didn't mind to offend you."   
  
_You filthy bitch_.   
  
The phrase flow through her head with a painful intensity, making her legs go weak. She slowly reached out with her hand and gripped the edge of the table to steel herself.   
  


"Mr. Anderson," a voice called out and she turned her head to see Isabel coming towards them. She felt relief flow through her. She had never been so happy to see anyone as she had when she saw Isabel coming towards her with a binder in her hand.   
  


"Mr. Anderson," she repeated, "Mr. O'Connor called. He wants you to look through the prospects again. He didn't sound too happy."   
  


Liz was keeping her eyes locked on Isabel, but didn't miss David's hand that brushed against her back. It was as if his touch froze the very cells it came into contact with.   
He walked up to Isabel and took the binder from her.   
  


"Thank you, Ms. Evans," he said with a flirtatious smile.   
  


Isabel smiled back. Her smile was easy and relaxed. As David walked away from them, Isabel walked up to Liz. Her smile was now gone and she looked concerned. She reminded Liz of someone.   
  
"Are you okay?" she asked.   
  


Liz smiled weakly. "Yeah. I was just getting a cup of tea. You want some?"   
  


"Yes, thank you," Isabel said, positioning herself beside Liz. Liz took one of the cups from the closet and poured some of the hot water into it. She could feel Isabel's eyes on her the whole time. She smiled as she handed Isabel the cup.   
  


"Thank you," Isabel said, accepting the cup.   
  


"So, do you like it here?" Liz asked, putting her lips to the cup, carefully sipping the hot liquid.   
  


"Yes, I love it here," Isabel answered with a warm smile. "Everybody is so nice.. I think Mr. Smith is the best boss I've ever had, even though I don't see him much. I'm mostly behind my desk or talking to David."   
  


"Yeah, Mr. Smith is great," Liz said, deliberately avoiding to talk about Mr. Anderson. "He's been a great support for me for a long time."   
  


"Really?"   
  


"Yeah," Liz answered. "Uhm...he helped me through some difficult times."   
Isabel nodded, understanding from the way that Liz kept staring into her cup that she didn't want to discuss that in any deeper detail.   
  
"So, do you have any food in this place?" Isabel asked lightly, waving her hand in the direction of the little kitchen area that was set up in a disclosed area of the office space.   
  


"Yeah. Some sandwiches and donuts," Liz answered, simultaneously opening the small refrigerator and showing off its content to Isabel.   
  


"Oh, great! I'm soooo hungry!" Isabel exclaimed and practically dived into the refrigerator.   
Liz giggled at her antics.   
  


"David isn't letting me get many breaks," Isabel said, while she piled the food on the small table next to the refrigerator.   
  


She didn't see Liz tense up at the mention of that name, but as she straightened up she felt something different in the air, even though Liz looked the same as ever.   
  


"You want something?" Isabel asked, waving her hand at the refrigerator.   
  


"No, thanks," Liz said.   
  


Isabel put her teeth in a donut with frosting. She shut her eyes, fully enjoying the sweet flavor. The taste was just right, the strong sugary content of the frosting stimulating her alien taste buds.   
  
  
"Mmmm...I hate myself," she sighed, and smiled as she opened her eyes.   
  


"I have a thing for sweet things as well," Liz said, "You're not alone."   
  


"Thank God!" Isabel said, feigning relief. A comfortable silence lowered itself over them for a few moments. Liz sipping her warm tea and Isabel happily devouring her donut.   
  


"Hey Liz, you've heard about the party, right?"   
  


Liz nodded. 'The party' was held by the firm once a year, but Liz had only attended it once in all the three years she had worked here. She was not what you would call a 'social butterfly'. The parties were too exhausting. The first and only time she had went there, the men had almost devoured her, trying every trick in the book to 'win her heart'. Her attempts to keep up a polite facade had completely depleted her energy and that night she had barely slept, her restless sleep being plagued by nightmares. The content of the nightmares she had of course surpressed. They were no longer a part of her memory. She did not have any plans on reliving that moment, so she hadn't even given the party a second thought this year either, as all other years before that.   
  
"Yeah, I've heard about it," Liz answered.   
  


"Are you going?" Isabel asked, opening a can of mineral water.   
  


Liz shook her head lightly. "No, I think I'm just gonna stay home."   
  


"Oh, I sort of hoped that you would keep me company," Isabel said, a disappointed look on her face. "I don't really know anyone here yet..."   
  


"You'll have no problem to get to know people," Liz said, thinking of how outgoing Isabel was.   
  


Isabel shook her head in disagreement. "I would love to get to know other people of course. But...I _must have_ someone that introduces me."   
  


"Well, then you're asking the wrong person," Liz said. "I hardly know any people here either, except for the people in this department."   
  


"Oh, come on Liz!" Isabel pleaded, slightly whining.   
  


Liz smiled, shaking her head. "Thank you for asking, Isabel, but I think I'm gonna pass."   
  


"Please Liz. It will be fun! We don't have to talk to people!"   
  


Liz arched her eye-brow in disbelief.   
  
"No, truly. We can just observe everyone else and not talk to them," Isabel said.   
  


"I don't think you can really do that," Liz said.   
  


"We won't know until we try, right?" Isabel asked.   
  


Liz searched Isabel's hopeful face simultaneously as her heart searched for the right answers.   
  


"Okay," she said in resignation.   
  


"Great, it's a date," Isabel said, grinning.   
  


Liz just shook her head in disbelief that she had let Isabel talk her into this whole thing.   
  
  
TBC...


	11. Chapter 11

**tals – **Thank you so much for the feedback!!

**Chapter 11**   
  


  
Liz sighed in frustration as she for about the millionth time looked over the draft, trying to find the source to way she couldn't get the angles to fit together. She leaned back against the headboard of her bed, closing her eyes as exhaustion flowed over her. She had just began to drift off to sleep as there was a rapid series of knocks on the front door. She bolted forward with a gasp, her throat constricting and her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Her hands trembled as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Her legs were barely supporting her as she made her way over to the door.   
  


"Who is it?" she asked, silently chastening herself for the weakness of her voice.   
  


"It's Max."   
  


The relief was immediate. Instinctive. Without any further hesitation she pulled the latch away from the door and unlocked the two locks below. The door flung open and she found herself looking into those expressive eyes.   
  


"Hey," he said, his voice as soft as velvet to her. "Can I come in?"   
  


"Uhm...sure," Liz said slowly, stepping to the side to let Max in. As he moved past her, his scent whirled around her.   
  


"How are you?" Max asked, avoiding to look her in the eyes. Everything felt slightly surreal to Liz. Max was just suddenly showing up here. They still didn't even know each other.   
  
"I'm fine," she answered.   
  


"Good...that's good," Max said, and Liz could hint his nervousness.   
  


"Max....Did you want to talk to me about something?" Liz asked, her eyes moving over the handsome features of his face as they were partly illuminated by the soft lightning in the apartment.   
  


"Uhm...no, no," Max answered, fingering on the edge of the counter in the kitchen area where he had positioned himself.   
  


"Okay," Liz said slowly, moving towards the sofa to clean up some of the documents she had spread out.   
  


"You don't have to do that," Max objected.   
  


"Do what?" she asked.   
  


"Clean up...," Max answered.   
  


"Max...uhm...we really don't even know each other. We have only met a few times, under somewhat bizarre circumstances... and I don't really believe that you just came here to ask how I was feeling. I feel that I can trust you...I don't know why I feel this, but I do. You can trust me, Max. Can you please tell me what's going on, since the ignorance is driving me crazy!"   
  


Max diverted his eyes away from hers to a fix point on the floor. "I-I can't."   
  
"Please Max," Liz said. "You seem to know more about what's going on than I do....I'm so afraid, Max." Max looked up at her as he heard the vulnerability in her voice. She could read so much in his eyes. Sorrow, regret, guilt....   
  


"I had to see that you were okay," Max said.   
  


"Why?" Liz asked.   
  


Max held her gaze. "I had a dream about you."   
  


"You had a dream?" Liz repeated, confused.   
  


"That you were in danger," Max elaborated.   
  


Liz unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself to fight off the chill that had started to spread into her bones.   
  
"But it was just a dream, right?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her heart fluttered with fear as he looked into his eyes, his eyes telling her the truth.   
  


"Right?" she whispered.   
  


"Liz..." Max said, stepping closer to her. Hurt flashed in his eyes as she recoiled from him.   
  


"No Max. You have to tell me!"   
  


Max hesitated. He knew that it would probably be for the best if he told her. It would probably be easier for her to protect herself if she knew what to look out for. But could he tell her one thing, without having to tell her the whole truth? He didn't really feel ready to tell her that he was an alien. The last thing he wanted to do right now was to scare her away by telling her that he was not from this world. That might make her less cautious and she might not even believe him. And by believing that he was lying to her, she could assume that everything he had warned her about was just as much nonsense. No, he couldn't let that happen.   
  
"Have you ever been in an abandoned house?" Max asked.   
  


Liz furrowed her forehead. "What are you talking about?" she asked, clearly confused.   
  


"I need to know if you have ever been in an abandoned house, or is going to visit an abandoned house," Max said.   
  


Liz shook her head. "Uhm..no," she answered.   
  


"Good," Max said.   
  


Okay, now she was totally lost.   
  


"Okay, Max. I need you to stop talking in riddles. Can you please tell me what's going on."   
  


"I had a pre- uhm.. vision, you know since I'm psychic," Max said.   
  


"Yes....," Liz prompted.   
  


"I saw you....in what looked like an abandoned house," Max said.   
  


"What happened?" Liz asked. Max grew silent, his eyes watching her face intently.   
  


"Why do you believe me? I mean, psychic people are not exactly known for their high credibility."   
  
"I don't know why," Liz said, momentarily thinking about her own bizarre childhood. "But I feel that I can trust you, and it seems as if you're telling me the truth."   
  


"Thank you," Max said softly, and Liz was for not the first time puzzled by the amount of emotions displayed in his eyes. She had never met anyone like him before and she didn't even really know him yet.   
  


"So...what happened in your..vision?" Liz asked.   
  


"I don't know exactly," Max said honestly. "The images weren't as clear as they usually are... it was more that I could feel emotions."   
  


"What kind of emotions?" Liz asked slowly.   
  


"Fear...sorrow," Max answered, gauging her reaction.   
  


"So these emotions were coming from me?"   
  


Max nodded.   
  


"Okay.... what do we do about it?" Liz asked him. To Max's surprise he felt a warmth penetrate his heart that Liz had asked what _they_ should do, not what _she_ should do. It did funny things to him knowing that she already had acquired that kind of trust in him.   
  
"I suggest that you try to stay away from abandoned houses," Max answered.   
  


"That doesn't seem too difficult. I think I can do that," Liz said.   
  


Max felt relieved now that he knew that Liz was aware of the danger. That made it easier for her to stay safe.   
  


"I'm sorry about this," Max said.   
  


Liz stepped closer to him, shaking her head in disagreement.   
  


"No Max. Don't apologize. You're helping me," Liz said. "What you are able to do is a gift. You can help people."   
  


Max sank into the warmth of her chocolate brown doe eyes, its warmth transmitted into this eyes to spread in his body. He felt a mushy feeling in his knees, making his legs go weak. He felt drawn to her in a way that he had never felt drawn to anyone else. He felt a deep need to protect her, as deep as he had for his sister and Michael, and he didn't even know Liz. But somehow that felt wrong as well, that he didn't know her. He _did_ know her. It was as if he'd always known her. As if his heart had always known her.   
  
"You don't know how much that means to me," Max said.   
  


Liz smiled and the smile made Max's heart tingle.   
  


"So...where are you living anyway? Are you from New York?"   
  


"No, I'm originally from Roswell," Max answered.   
  


Liz arched her eyebrow in surprise. "Really? I've just met someone that was also from Roswell. What a weird coincidence."   
  


Isabel.   
  


"That just makes me realize how little we know about each other," Liz added.   
A silence lowered itself over them, but they were both comfortable with the silence. Their eyes sought the other out and Liz felt as if she could understand more about Max just by looking into his eyes.   
  


"How about we get to know each other some more," Liz suggested. She had barely had any friends during her upbringing and she didn't know what to do. But somehow it all seemed simple when it came to talking to Max.   
  
"Uhm..okay," Max said hesitantly. He would _love_ to talk to her. He wanted to spend as much time in Liz's presence as possible.   
  


"What do you do for a living, Max?" Liz asked, positioning herself on the couch, motioning for Max to sit down as well. Max seated himself in the blue arm-chair.   
  


"Uhm... I'm actually working at a UFO center, a museum on UFO findings," Max answered.   
Liz's eyebrows raised slightly, a smile twitching in the corners of her mouth.   
  


"You're kidding," she said.   
  


"I'm afraid not," Max grimaced.   
  


"Doesn't all that alien humbug get to you?"   
  


Max shrugged his shoulders. "Nah... it's pretty entertaining."   
  


"I bet," Liz said. "So are you a believer?"   
  


Max hesitated for a brief second. "I guess you can say that."   
  


"What's your theory?"   
  


"My theory?" Max repeated, bewildered.   
  
"Yeah...do you think that there actually _are_ aliens abducting humans from time to time, making experiments on them..or do you only think that they crashed in Roswell and that was the end of it? Or maybe you even believe that the aliens are walking among us, in human form."   
  


Max quickly hid the expression of mild panic that flashed over his face...but not before Liz caught a sight of it. And it puzzled her.   
  


"I guess I just believe that the universe is too large to believe that humans are the only advanced life form."   
  


Liz nodded. "I agree with you there."   
  


Their eyes locked and Max felt as if she was pulling him inside of her... so he quickly averted his eyes and lightly cleared his throat.   
  


"So.. what do you work with?"   
  


"You mean you don't know?" Liz asked amused. At Max's once again confused facial expression she decided to elaborate. "I figured that since you were following me around, you must have checked up on me and by now know almost everything there is to know about me."   
  


Max ducked his head, but not before Liz could see the faint blush grazing his cheeks. His reaction made her go all warm inside and she had to smile at his adorable embarrassment.   
  
"Not really," Max answered, his attention seemingly fixed on his feet.   
  


Liz decided to take him off the hook. "I'm an architect."   
  


"That's interesting," Max said, looking up. "Do you enjoy it?"   
  


"I love it," Liz answered truthfully and for the first time Max could see how beautiful Liz looked as her eyes sparkled. Even more beautiful than she already was. Now it was Liz's turn to blush as Max's intense eyes adored her. She wasn't even sure that Max realized that he was practically staring at her. But his gaze didn't make her feel uncomfortable. It made her feel safe and protected. Cherished. She finally had to look away, because his eyes made her feel too many emotions, they were too strong, and she couldn't handle them. She had spent her whole life pushing her feelings down. Immediately as a too strong of feeling tried to resurface, she pushed it down so that she didn't have to deal with it. Burying it. The feelings she felt when she was close to this man, that she had only known for a couple of days and now being the first time she actually really talked to him, were too strange and too unfamiliar for her to know how to react. The normal methods she used to ignore feelings didn't apply. These feelings were too strong, too undeniable.   
  
"Have you always lived here in New York?" Max asked, realizing that he was staring at her and that it was probably making her uncomfortable.   
  


"As long as I can remember," Liz answered, deliberately failing to mention to him that she actually _couldn't_ remember too far back. "My dad is still living here, a couple of blocks away."   
  


"I've always lived close to my family as well," Max confided, and then he grew serious. "I must tell you something."   
  


Liz couldn't help but feel the fear creeping back in her at those words. She wondered if she would ever be able to hear him say those words without her feeling fear.   
  


"It's nothing bad," Max hurried to explain as he saw her fearful expression. He relaxed as he saw her relief. "I think you're working with my sister."   
  


"I am?" she asked, and Max felt relief and joy at the excitement in her voice. It made him hope that she didn't completely regret having him tumbling into her life.   
  
"Isabel Evans," Max answered.   
  


"Are you serious?" Liz asked.   
  


"Uh-huh," Max answered. He didn't know what was making it, but he felt more relaxed in Liz's company than with anyone he'd ever known. Even more comfortable than with his sister. Despite the fact that Max was linked to Isabel in a way that he never could be with anyone else on Earth, well, except for Michael then, that hadn't meant that they were naturally similar to each other. Their personalities couldn't be more different. Max wasn't surprised at all that Liz had questioned if Isabel really was his sister, because they weren't very much alike. Neither on the exterior, nor on the interior.   
  
But Liz was thinking quite the opposite. She wondered why she had never seen the connection before. Of course Isabel was Max's sister. Even though she was a blonde, and outgoing and talkative, everything that Max wasn't, they had the same aura. She couldn't quite explain it. It was as if they were both linked by something much deeper than a sibling bond. Liz had never met anyone like Isabel and Max before. It was something about them that spoke to her, made her trust them.   
  
"Are you close?" Liz asked Max.   
  


Max nodded. "We're pretty close. I don't know where I would be without her."   
Somehow, Liz got the feeling that there was a lot more behind that statement than just having someone to play with when you were little. She had herself missed that, growing up as an only child. But from the emotions flickering in the most soulful eyes she'd ever seen, she sensed that there was an almost deadly serenity to the statement. That the presence or absence of his sister was the one thing that determined his ability to survive. Her curiosity was peaked. Max intrigued her. Their was a mystery about him that she had to find out more about, she wanted to know _everything_ about him. And that was one more feeling that frightened her...

TBC...


	12. Chapter 12

Hi guys!

**Jo, Alex** and **BethluvMax** – I'm so happy to see that you are reading this too! Thank you so much  for the feedback!!

**Chapter 12**

  
  
Liz reached across the counter, taking a head of lettuce. What else did she need? She looked over at what she had put in her shopping cart, going over what she had already taken and what she still needed. She put the lettuce in the cart and continued pushing the cart in front of her down the alley, moving towards the dairy products. As she made her way through the supermarket, her thoughts were free to unrestrained flow around in her head. Her thoughts, nowadays, seemed to have merely _one_ specific destination.   
  
Max Evans.   
  
What was it about him that made her want to know more about him? She had an inexplicable urge to get to know him. It wasn't only the mystery surrounding him that intrigued her, but she wanted to bask herself in his presence. But just as quickly as those thoughts started to flow freely through her mind, she had to push them away. She couldn't let him get too close to her - she couldn't get too close to _him_. She didn't want to hurt him and her being close to him would certainly do that... She took a deep breath as she pushed down the painful feelings to the safe state of forgetfulness.   
  
"Liz...?"   
  
The tentative question made her turn around, and she found herself looking into a pair of very familiar blue eyes.   
  
"Alex...?" she said, afraid to hope that it was really Alex that was standing in front of her with a packet of crackers in his hand.   
  


"Is that really you, Liz?" the man asked, and then a big grin spread across his face as Liz threw herself in his arms. Her grip on him was almost suffocating, but he willingly held her close. He had missed her so much and he could understand from the way she was hugging him that she had missed him too.   
  
They broke apart and Alex could see tears simmering in her eyes.   
  


"God, Liz. Where have you been?" Alex asked.   
  


"I've been around," Liz answered, smiling happily. "Do you live here?"   
  


"No, I'm actually only visiting my brother," he answered. "I never imagined to see you here! In a supermarket of all places."   
  


They just stared at each other silently, with something akin to awe in their eyes, both trying to grasp the concept that the other really was there.   
  


"I live close by," Liz said. "How about you follow me home? We have so much to talk about!"   
  


"I would love that," Alex said. "Let me help you finish your shopping. So what else do you need?" 

---------------------------------------------------

  
  
"So, this is where I live," Liz said, opening the door. Alex stepped inside, eyeing the interior of the apartment.   
  


"This is so you," Alex said.   
  


"I hope that's a good thing," Liz said, as she closed the door.   
  


"Believe me, that's a very good thing," Alex said.   
  


Just then there was a knock on the door. Alex was somewhat confused by the momentary startled expression passing over Liz's face.   
  


"Who is it?" she asked through the door.   
  


"Max," a deep male voice answered.   
  


Alex frowned. Max? Liz had never told him about someone named Max. But then Liz and he hadn't had any contact with each other in last six years. Liz opened the door and he watched as a man, about their age, walked in. Alex felt the strongest urge to get out of the apartment as he met that Max's eyes. He watched as the man positioned himself between him and Liz.   
  
"Hi," Alex said to the man, trying to break the tension that had floated into the room with the man's arrival. He could see the calmness on Liz's face as she walked past the man and put herself between Max and Alex. There was something different here, not only by the dynamics and behavior of the strange man, but also by Liz's behavior. Alex couldn't put his finger on it, but even though the man seemed very hostile, Alex could bet his life on the fact that the man was only hostile in order to protect Liz...from Alex. The thought was ridiculous, but there it was, staring him into the face - literally.   
  


"Max, this is Alex," Liz said waving her hand slightly in Alex's direction. "Alex, this is Max."   
  


Alex watched in fascination as the hostility in Max's eyes diminished. What was up with that man?   
  
"Hi, nice to meet you," Alex said lightly and stretched out his hand towards Max. Max took it, and shook it firmly. But he didn't say a word. 'A true conversationalist, huh?' Alex thought.   
  


"Alex is my best friend," Liz explained. Alex watched as relief spread over Max's features, and then he turned his gaze away from Alex and looked at Liz. Alex relaxed as he was removed out of the focus of attention of those intense eyes. But then he redirected his attention to Liz and Max and got the sudden impression that his presence in the room wasn't any longer noticed. If he didn't know better he would've bet a lot of money that his long lost friend was holding a conversation with this mysterious man using merely her eyes. But Alex knew better. They couldn't do that..right?   
  
"We just met in the supermarket," Liz told Max. "We haven't seen each other in...uhm...what is it Alex? Five years?"   
  


"Six actually," Alex said.   
  


"Really?" Liz said.   
  


Alex nodded in confirmation.   
  


"So...you're okay?" Max asked, and Alex was almost shocked to hear him speak. The deepness of the concern in Max's voice made Alex feel like there was a lot more to their relationship than what he knew. But he was sure to make a serious attempt to try to get as many details out of Liz as possible.   
  


"I'm fine, Max," Liz said with a soft smile. "You wanna stay?"   
  


"Uhm...no," Max answered and pulled back. "I have to go. Isabel is going to start wonder where I am..."   
  


"Right," Liz said. "Say hello to Isabel from me."   
  


"Sure," he said, and once again Alex found himself in the center of the focal point of those intense eyes.   
  


"It was nice meeting you," Max said to him, holding his gaze and Alex could've sworn that Max sternly told him to take care of Liz. He could feel his own head nod in agreement with Max's silent request. Then, as quickly as Max had arrived, he was gone.   
  
Alex felt as if he had been asleep...because the only way he could describe that...meeting... was with two words. Bizarre and surreal. But the softness to Liz's eyes as she turned around after closing the door after Max was what brought him back to reality.   
  


"Okay, spill!"   
  


"What do you mean?" Liz asked, her eyes sparkling.   
  


"Who was that?"   
  


"Max."   
  


"Yeah, that much I know. Is he your boyfriend?"   
  


"No, he's not my boyfriend."   
  


Alex grabbed his heart in feigned relief.   
  


"Gosh Liz!! You gave me quite a scare there!!"   
  


"Would it be so bad if I had a boyfriend?" Liz asked incredulously.   
  


"Shy, passive Elizabeth Parker with a boyfriend? Yeah that would've been something!"   
  
Liz couldn't get angry with him for that comment. She knew that he was making fun of her, but they both knew the truth that lied in those simple playful words. Liz was too private to let just anyone in and having a boyfriend really meant that you had to be willing to share a lot of things about yourself. There was a lot of things about Elizabeth Parker that only she knew. There were unfortunately a lot of things about Elizabeth Parker that _no one_ knew since Liz had decided to 'forget' it...   
  


"No, Alex. I wouldn't want to be responsible for giving you a heart-attack!" she teased.   
  


"Then what's about that whole I'm-protecting-my-female-against-anyone attitude?"   
  


"What?" Liz giggled.   
  


"I'm telling you, Liz. If that man would have been able to kill with his eyes I would have been dead the second he walked through the door. Can we say _hostile_?!"   
  


"He wasn't hostile," Liz objected. "He's just...concerned."   
  


"Well, that in itself baffles me, Liz," Alex said. "What has he to be concerned about? Has something happened to put you in the need of a bodyguard?"   
Liz rolled her eyes at him before making her way to the kitchenette.   
  
"It's nothing, Alex," she said lightly. "I just recently met him-"   
  


"You just meet him?" Alex asked surprised, as he watched Liz pick out a tea pot from one of the cabinets.   
  


"Yeah," Liz said, as if there wasn't anything wrong with that. And there wasn't really anything wrong with that, if it hadn't been for the fact that Max had not really seemed as a man you just happened to meet...   
  


"Well, excuse me Liz for being slightly confused, but you two seem to have known each other for at least...one year."   
  


Liz laughed, thereby brushing it off as something ridiculous. But she forgot that Alex knew her better than anyone else (or he hoped that was still the case, if not that Max now knew more) and he knew that as Liz brushed off something as ridiculous it had hit too closely home to her true feelings and that was her way of dealing with something that was intimidating.   
  
"We've only known each other for about a week...not even that actually," Liz answered.   
  


"Really," Alex said.   
  


"Can we get off the Max subject?" Liz asked, turning her head to look at him. He read her silent plea in her eyes and let the subject drop. It was never a good idea to push Liz too much. She would clamp up like a clam and then it would be completely useless to get _anything_ out of her.   
  


"Sure," he said.   
  


"Thank you. Now, I want to know everything you've been up to these last years!"   
  


"Everything?" Alex asked, arching his eyebrow.   
  


Liz caught his playful grin and a heartfelt giggle escaped her. Alex always seemed to be able to make her laugh and forget about her reality.   
  


"Okay, not in excruciating detail."   
  


"No?" Alex asked innocently.   
  


Liz scrunched her noise. "No, please," she said and tried fervently to stop her mind from going places she wasn't taking it.   
  


"It's actually not that much fun to listen to," Alex confessed. "It will honestly only take me about two minutes to tell you about the last six years of my life."   
  
"Awww, poor Alex," Liz said with her best aww-what-a-cute-doggy voice.   
  


Alex grinned. "Seriously, Liz. Without you in it, always attracting trouble, my life became so much more booooring!!"   
  


"Ah, what are you implying, Mr. Whitman?" Liz asked in mock offense.   
  


Alex wondered for a brief second how many really got to see this carefree side of Elizabeth Parker, before he continued with the playful banter. That was one of the things he had missed the most with the loss of Liz's friendship. She had an ability to understand what he meant and also to understand when he was goofing around and when he wasn't. She didn't take his jokes personally, but she saw them for what they were. Jokes. And he had a feeling they both needed the playful banter right now.   
  


"Remember that incident with that professor?"   
  


Liz's eyes grew big and her mouth fell open. But her eyes sparkled with contained laughter and the corners of her mouth twitched in a contained smile.   
  


"Oh! That was so not me Alex Whitman!!" she said.   
  


Alex looked at her innocently.   
  


"As far as I remember I wasn't the one having a crush on that guy!!"   
  


Liz gasped and then slapped Alex on the shoulder.   
  
"I did not have a crush on him! And it was _you_ who got me into that mess!!"   
  


"You should have seen that professor's face-"   
  


"Oh stop it!" Liz warned, giggles erupting in her throat, putting down the tea pot on the stove.   
  


"-and you could barely show yourself in that lecture hall after that-"   
  


"Alex...," Liz said, the warning note pretty evident in her voice this time as she took a step closer to him.   
  


"I could just picture what was going on in that pretty little head of yours as that shirt clung to his chest-"   
  


And then Alex ducked to narrowly avoid being swatted over the head by Liz's hand.   
  


"You are making this up!" she laughed.   
  


"You wish!" Alex said, unable to contain his own laughter at this point. "And when you stumbled on him and fell with your hands on his chest-"   
  


"Quiet!" Liz demanded, but her demand lost some of its seriousness as she was still laughing. Soon Liz was chasing after Alex, their laughter melting together as they run through the apartment.

TBC...


	13. Chapter 13

Hi everyone!

**Alex** and **Beth** – thank you soooo much for the fb!!

**Chapter 13**

  
  
"What happened that day six years ago?"Alex asked as they were sitting on her bed, eating ice-cream.   
  


"What do you mean?" Liz asked innocently. Another one of Liz's typical characteristics that hadn't changed during all these years, Alex noted. She always played stupid when she didn't want to answer a specific question. She hoped that she could stall the person asking the question enough to make him or her talk about something else. Liz was an incredibly smart woman, Alex had been a witness to that on more than one occasion, but when it came to her own feelings and knowing herself he sometimes questioned her intelligence. How could someone be so afraid of herself?   
  


"You know what I mean, Liz. The last day we saw each other. You just took off and then I didn't hear a word from you in six years. I'm not sure I would've ever met you again if I hadn't run into you today."   
  


"I'm sorry, Alex," Liz said, her deep regret displayed in her eyes for him to take to heart.   
  


"Liz," he said, reaching for her hand. "I considered you my best friend and from your introduction to Max earlier you still consider _me_ to be your best friend. What made you break off contact with me and then keep it that way? Didn't I mean more to you than that?"   
  
"Alex, please. Do we really have to talk about this?"   
  


"I think I deserve an explanation, Liz," Alex said. "I've missed you Liz and I thought I would never see you again. Sometimes I even thought you were dead."   
  


Liz avoided his eyes, and tried to pull her hand away from his hand, but he just tightened his grip.   
  


"I've gone over the events of that day thousands of times, trying to figure out what happened. The more I tried to understand it, the more I realized how little I actually knew about you. I realized that you had never told me about your family. I didn't know if you had any siblings, or pets. I didn't know _anything_ at all about your childhood. I didn't know where you were from, where you had lived before you started at the university. I didn't know the phone number to your house, and I didn't know your parents' names, so I couldn't even look the phone number up. Let me tell you, there are _a lot_ of people named Parker out there!"   
  
"However, I knew all other things, that didn't seem the least important when I realize you had taken off for good. I knew that your favorite color was red. I knew that you listened to Sarah McLachlan. I knew that your birthday was on the 21st of February. I knew that you hated violence and never watched the news or read the newspapers. I knew that your favorite flower was white roses, and I knew more about how you reacted to things than you would ever believe, since you tried so hard to not let me know too much. But nothing of that helped me explain what had happened. I have played that day over and over in my head, but it didn't make more sense to me even then."   
  
"I woke up that morning by the ringing of the telephone and when I heard that you answered I waited a while to see if you would knock on my door and tell me that it was for me. But for once, it was for you. That's one of the things that puzzled me. No one ever called you Liz. It was as if you didn't know anyone besides me. And then you suddenly get a phone call. I don't know why I didn't get up that morning and checked on who it was on the phone, but I guess I was either too tired to get up or I just thought that you had told whoever was calling that I was asleep and that they should call back later. Never in that moment did it ever cross my mind that it was someone who called for _you_. About two hours later I went up to find a note by the phone. I still have it. It said; 'I have gone out. Be back later. Love, Liz.' But you never came back, Liz."   
  
"I went into your bedroom and found almost all of your clothes gone. Your bed was neatly made, as always, and your room was as clean and tidy as always, but I just knew that you wasn't coming back. There was a finality hanging over your room, Liz. Please tell me, Liz. As your friend, tell me what happened. Who was that on the phone?"   
Liz had held his gaze the whole time. She had never once averted her eyes. The familiarity with how she had always looked into his eyes the whole time he spoke to her when he had known her before comforted him now.   
  


"It was a family emergency," Liz answered weakly.   
  


Alex closed his eyes and sighed, a tiredness marking his face.   
  


"Oh come on, Liz. You gotta give me something else than that! Was it your parents who called you?"   
  
Liz nodded and he could see tears glimmering in her eyes. "It was my mom."   
  


"She wanted you to come home?" Alex offered, trying to ease the obvious discomfort he felt from her.   
  


She swallowed and nodded, one of the tears that had been pooling in her eyes escaping and silently rolling down her cheek.   
  


"What happened Liz?" Alex asked, afraid that something had happened to someone in Liz's family.   
  


"I don't really want to talk about this," Liz said, forcing down sobs.   
  


Alex searched her face, tried to judge how much more he could push her. He was torn with his need to get answers to questions that had haunted him for six years and not hurting this fragile girl.   
  


"Okay. But Liz, I want some answers. I don't think you would just abandon me without any explanation just like that."   
  


"I wouldn't," Liz said, the honesty shining in her eyes.   
  


Alex nodded. He was going to let it go....for now. 

-----------------------------------------

  
  
Her heart was fluttering, her hands were sweaty. She was so nervous she didn't know how to think any longer, let alone how to feel anything else than the anxiety that was coursing through her body.   
  


"Liz, calm down! You want me to come with you?" Alex asked, pressing his palm against her forehead to check her temperature. She looked sick, really sick, but she didn't have a fever. Nothing was wrong with her, but Alex could swear that she was about to collapse at any time.   
  


"Liz...."   
  


No response.   
  


"Liz..._Lizzie_!!"   
  


Liz turned her head and focused her eyes on him. Alex put his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to keep eye-contact with him.   
  
"Liz. It's only a party, you hear me? It's only a _party_. People go to them all the time. They are happy occasions. People are enjoying themselves. They're laughing, and talking. Mingling.... It's gonna be fine! Now, do you want me to come with you?"   
  


Liz shook her head.   
  


"No," she answered, her throat raspy due to the inability of her salivary glands to produce saliva. "I'm going with Isabel, it's suppose to be just me and her."   
  


"Okay, then it's fine...right?"   
  


Liz nodded. "Yes, of course it is."   
  


Alex sighed in defeat, not believing a word she said. Just then there was a knock on the door.   
  


"I guess that's Isabel," Alex said. "Should I get it?"   
  


"Yes," Liz answered, but called out his name before he could disappear out in the living room, making him turn around. "Alex, thank you."   
  


The words were simple, but meaningful.   
  


"Anything for you, Liz," Alex answered and gave her a warm smile before heading for the front door.   
  
The air rushed out of him at the sight meeting him as the door swung open. She was beautiful. No....she wasn't only beautiful. She was stunning... No, that wasn't the word either. She was gracious and-   
  


"Hi, I'm Isabel," she said, and Alex watched in fascination as her mouth moved to enunciate every syllable of the words.   
  


Isabel.   
  


He felt the sudden need to pinch himself, because he was sure that he had suddenly gone to sleep somewhere between Liz's bedroom and opening door.   
  


"And you are?" she asked, as she didn't receive an answer.   
  


His gaze was once again pulled towards her lusciously red lips. They seemed so soft. He wondered how they would feel to-   
  


"Hi Isabel," he heard Liz say behind him, and the air rushed back into his lungs and his surroundings returned into focus. "The dumb man over here is Alex."   
  
"He's dumb?" Isabel asked, shock spreading over her features.   
  


Liz rolled her eyes, her nervousness repressed to a more sociable level.   
  


"Not usually. Alex, this is Isabel. Alex, say 'hi'," Liz instructed, talking very slowly.   
  


Alex glared at her, before he turned his head back to the beauty that for once had left him speechless.   
  


"Hi, nice to meet you," he said, stretching his hand out towards Isabel. As their palms contacted, Alex thought he was going to die of heart failure right there on the spot. How much more of this could he stand?   
  


"Alex was just leaving," Liz said, starting to push Alex towards the doorway.   
  


"Oh, that's too bad," Isabel said.   
  


"No, don't want to bug in on your girls' night," Alex said.   
  


"Yeah, bye Alex," Liz said, suddenly anxious to get Alex out of the apartment.   
  


"Bye," Alex said.   
  
"It was nice meeting you," Isabel managed to say before the Liz closed the door.   
  


"Who was that?" Isabel asked casually, following after Liz into the bedroom.   
  


"Alex is my best friend," Liz answered honestly.   
  


"Oh," Isabel said.   
  


"Now you gotta help me," Liz said. "I can't decide what to wear, and even though I love Alex... he really don't have any fashion sense!" 

-------------------------------------------------

  
  
"You okay?" Isabel asked for the second time since they had gotten into the cab.   
  


"I'm fine," Liz said, pushing one of the lose dark hair tendrils behind her ear, her hand trembling.   
  


"Liz, I feel really bad for pushing you into this-"   
  


"Isabel, you're _not_ pushing me into anything," Liz said adamantly. "In the end it was my decision to come. I'm fine."   
  


Isabel knew when to back off, and this certainly was one of those moments. 

-----------------------------------------------

  
  
There were people everywhere. Laughing, talking, eating, drinking, dancing...even singing. The mood was high. The party was a true success.   
  


"Elizabeth! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know that you were going to be here tonight."   
  


Liz smiled at her boss as he made his way over to her, balancing a drink in one hand as he tried to make his way through the masses of people without spilling or tripping.   
  


"No, I usually avoid this entertainment," Liz answered.   
  


"It's nice to have you here though," Mr. Smith said. "You look beautiful."   
  


Liz ducked her head slightly, a blush spreading up over her cheeks. "Thank you," she said.   
Mr. Smith just shook his head in disbelief at her reaction. No 24-year-old he knew still reacted that shyly and innocently to a compliment as Elizabeth Parker. His eyes moved from the petite dark-haired woman, to the tall blonde standing beside her. He stretched out his hand towards her.   
  


"Miss Isabel Evans, right?" he asked.   
  


"Yes," Isabel answered.   
  
"If I'm not mistaking you're the villain in all of this," Mr. Smith said.   
  


"Excuse me?" Isabel asked, with a confused smile.   
  


"I have tried to get Elizabeth to come to these parties for years, but she has resisted strongly. 

How did you manage to get her here?"   
  


Isabel laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Beginner's luck, I guess."   
  


"Well, I guess you two stunning women are going to infest this party," Mr. Smith said.   
  


"That's exactly what we have in mind, Mr. Smith," Isabel said, lightly following Mr. Smith's joking manner.   
  


Liz, on the other hand, was no longer with them. As her body was standing in a restricted area on the crowded dancing floor, her mind was already seeking refuge in a place where she could be by herself. No buzzing of human voices, no clinking of glasses, no beat of the music pounding in her ears.   
  


"Liz?"   
  
And just as quickly she was back in her body, back at the party. She turned around and found herself standing in front of the man she the least wanted to see.   
  


"Are you lost?" he asked.   
  


Unable to speak, she shook her head. She couldn't recognize his voice. It was softer, calmer...even concerned. Then she noticed the person standing beside him. She was of Liz's length, but instead of long dark silky hair hers was blonde and curly.   
  


"I didn't expect you to come to the party," he said.   
  


"I changed my mind," Liz said, watching the female out of the corner of her eyes. It didn't surprise her the least that the woman unnerved her just as much as he did.   
  


"Oh, well, that's nice," he said. "Tess, this is Elizabeth Parker. She's one of the most ambitious architects at the office. Liz, this is my girlfriend, Tess Harding."   
As Liz took the hand Tess reached out towards her, nausea welled up inside of her, and she had to fight the urge to throw up at just that moment with her whole body.   
  


"You okay?" the woman asked, and Liz nodded, swallowing inconspicuously.   
  
"Yes," she took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Harding."   
  


"Oh please, call me Tess," Tess said, and smiled. Liz closed her eyes to fight off the sudden dizziness. What was the matter with her?! She had to retake control of herself!   
  


"There you are," a familiar voice said behind her, and the dizziness subsided.   
  


"Isabel, I was looking for you," he said and then nodded towards his girlfriend. "I like you to meet Tess Harding, my girlfriend."   
  


Liz watched as Isabel smiled at the woman with the baby locks and then shook her hand.   
  


"So, you're the infamous Tess Harding," Isabel said.   
  


"Excuse me?" Tess asked, confusion written all over her face.   
  


"Mr. Anderson talks about you all the time," Isabel said.   
  


"Really?" Tess said interested, a smug twitching in the corners of her red painted lips.   
  


"Uh-huh," Isabel said. Liz was watching Isabel, wondering how her new-found friend could do that so easily. Talk to people. Like it didn't require any effort at all.   
  
"You want something to drink?" David asked, and Liz could feel his gaze on her as she stubbornly kept her eyes fixed on Isabel to avoid meeting his.   
  


"No, thank you," Liz said.   
  


"I think I'll have a coke," Isabel said.   
  


"Oh, come on Isabel. It's a party. You can't have a coke on a party!"   
  


"Okay, fix me a drink then, but it has to be free of alcohol," Isabel said.   
  


"What? Are you a Christian or something?" David asked.   
  


"No, I just can't handle alcohol too well," Isabel answered.   
  


"What do you do?" David asked. "Get all flirtatious, and start clinging on people?"   
  


"Let's just say it can get really ugly," Isabel said calmly.   
  


Liz was letting her eyes dart over the people dancing on the surface that had been cleared from tables, feeling Tess's eyes on the back of her neck.   
  
"Okay, then. No liquor it is," David said. "How 'bout you, Liz? You're sure you don't want anything?"   
  


Liz turned her head back towards them. This was a social game. She could play that too. In order to receive, you have to give.   
  


"Okay, give me what Isabel is having," she said.   
  


David chuckled. "Two drinks for the party animals," he said with a slight sarcastic tone.   
  


Liz let her mind float back into that calm area of her being, as her unseeing eyes drifted back and forth over the people around her. She vaguely registered that Tess and Isabel were having a conversation about David behind her. She felt light-headed and the nausea was yet to disappear.   
  
Isabel was looking at Liz from the corner of her eye. Something was not right about her. She had been immensely nervous before, but this was something else. Liz constantly kept spacing out, her eyes staring at something unseeing. Isabel heard Tess laugh as she went on and on about something David had done on their first date and she smiled automatically, while the majority of her attention was focused on Liz's behavior. She plunged back to reality as David returned with the drinks.   
  


"Are you having a good time, ladies?" he asked, handing Isabel her drink.   
  


"Yes, thank you Mr. Anderson," Isabel said.   
  


Mr. Anderson sipped on his tequila as he waved his hand in front of his face, thereby waving off the fact that Isabel calling him by his last name.   
  


"Please, Isabel. We're off office hours now, call me David."   
  
Isabel smiled. "Okay, David."   
  


"That's better," David said, but then wiggled his index finger at her. "But remember that it's just for now, back at work it's back to Mr. Anderson."   
  


Isabel forced herself to smile. "Deal."   
  


"Good," David said, and then turned his head to look at Liz, suddenly noticing that she was not really participating in the conversation.   
  


"Elizabeth, I have your drink here," he said.   
  
She turned her head quickly, as if he had scared her and solemnly nodded, reaching out her hand to take the glass. Isabel saw how Liz's hand was trembling and she was just about to take the glass from David because she didn't trust Liz not to spill, when David put the glass in Liz's hand. If Isabel hadn't happened to look at Liz's face just then she would've missed the expression of horror, disgust and lastly nausea shifting over her face. Automatically, Isabel put her hand on Liz's shoulder, feeling that she needed to support Liz or else she would fall. Isabel stepped closer to Liz and moved towards her ear, so that only Liz could hear what she said. David and Tess were occupied talking beside her and hadn't noticed Liz's odd behavior. Or more correctly, David was talking and Tess was giggling like a fourteen-year-old.   
  
"Liz, are you feeling okay?" Isabel asked.   
  


She saw Liz nod, but then she felt Liz sway beside her.   
  


"Okay, I'm getting you out of here," Isabel concluded and took a firm grip on Liz's elbow to support her. "Liz and I are going to freshen up," she told David and Tess.   
  


"Maybe I should freshen up as well," Tess said, and before Isabel had the chance to protest Tess was leading the way to the Ladies' room. 

----------------------------------------------

  
  
The room was spinning, and there was so much noise. She tried to cover her ears in an attempt to fight off the noise, but she was unable to move one of her arms. 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
Isabel could feel Liz trying to pull away from her grip on Liz's elbow.   
"Liz, we're going to the bathroom, okay?" she explained, watching Tess disappearing behind the door marked with the 'Ladies' sign. 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
Who was that talking to her? Where was she? She jumped as a loud crash sounded not far behind her. 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
Isabel turned hastily at the noise and saw a laughing couple bent over two shattered glasses on the floor. She sighed and pulled a little harder on Liz's almost completely uncooperative body as she pushed the door open with her free hand and steered Liz inside. 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
There was laughing...why were they laughing? The laughter hurt her ears. It pushed inside of her eardrums and then painfully interpreted every sound wave as a piercing noise, ripping her mind apart. And then she felt it. It started out as a warmth spreading through her abdomen, to quickly turn into scolding heat that was burning her every nerve ending. The tissues, tendons and muscles surrounding her stomach started convulsing, and then there was just pain... and the darkness. 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
They had barely stepped into the rest room until Isabel could feel Liz slipping away. She turned her head to watch Liz's legs give away under her weight and Isabel quickly put her free hand around Liz's waist to buffer her fall.   
  


"Oh my God!" she heard Tess gasp beside her. "What's wrong with her?"   
  


"I think she fainted," Isabel answered as she lowered Liz to the floor. Spectators had started to gather around them, whispering among each other about the pale girl.   
  


"Tess, can you support her head?" Isabel asked.   
  


"Sure," Tess said without hesitation and fell down on her knees, moving Liz's head to her lap.   
Isabel tried to calm her racing heart. She was calm on the outside, but she'd had years of practice on keeping the exterior unreadable. She hauled up her cell phone and called Max.   
  


"Hello?" he answered after two signals.   
  


"It's me," Isabel said. "You have to come to the party...you know where it is, right?"   
  


"What's wrong?"   
  


She knew that her voice had betrayed her at the concern she heard in her brother's voice.   
  


"Something's wrong with Liz," Isabel said and she barely got the chance to finish the sentence before the call was being disconnected. Max was already on his way.   
  
  


TBC...


	14. Chapter 14

Hi! Me again!

Thank you all so much for the feedback!! (I especially love the lengthy ones :D)

**Alex**

BethluvMax 

**Molly**

Thank you!!

**Chapter 14**   
  


  
This couldn't be happening... What was wrong with Liz? He had sworn to himself that he was going to protect her and yet something had happened to her. He hadn't had any premonition about anything happening in a party.... but what if he _had_ and he just hadn't recognized it for what it was. What if his lack of perception and attention somehow had managed to put Liz in danger. The worst thing was the not knowing. He didn't know _what_ had happened...   
  
He burst through the doors, barely registering all the people around him, giving him weird looks as he stormed through the building. He didn't know where Isabel and Liz were, but fortunately he could always sense Isabel when she was close by. As if he could somehow zoom in on her essence, hear her soul whispering to him at the back of his mind, and the closer he got to her, the higher the whisper grew. The easier he could feel his sister's upset emotions. He put his hands up against the door marked 'Ladies' and hastily pushed it open. He immediately saw her, laying on the floor. Isabel was sitting on the floor, Liz's head in her lap.   
  
Max didn't register any of the other persons standing in the bathroom as he came to kneel beside Liz's still form.   
  


"What happened?" he asked Isabel. Isabel looked up at him and relief spread across her face at the fact that her brother was finally there. The waiting had seemed like an eternity even though the long hand on the clock had merely moved ten steps. Merely ten minutes had elapsed, but during that time Liz hadn't moved. Perspiration was glistering on her deathly pale forehead.   
  


"I don't know, she was looking sick and I decided to take her to the rest room and then she just collapsed," Isabel explained.   
  
"Is she gonna be all right?" a voice he didn't recognized said.   
  


He looked up to see a girl with blond hair and blue eyes staring intently at him.   
  


"Yeah," he answered, and averted his eyes back to Liz. "Let's get her home."   
  


He tucked one of Liz's strands of hair, which had come undone from the hairdo and had become plastered on her forehead, behind her ear. He tucked his hand beneath her back. The other arm he hooked in the hollows of her knees and lifted upwards. Her head rolled lifelessly backwards and an icy chill went down his spine. He quickly pushed all the thoughts of her dying out of his mind and moved his arm so that his upper arm was supporting Liz's head. With her cradled against his chest he began walking, with Isabel trailing closely behind him. 

----------------------------------------

  
  
The rain was pelting down around her, and her feet felt heavy as they stumbled over the uneven ground. The dark trunks of the surrounding trees were hovering menacingly over her, their pegs spreading out like long fingers, wanting to capture her. The anguish in her heart was suffocating. Thoughts were tumbling around in her head, none of them making any sense to her. The air around her was filled with screams and animalistic cries. As she run over a muddy area she slipped and fell to the ground. Her hands and upper body became covered in mud as she tried to get up. She had to get up. She had to keep running.... 

-----------------------------------------

  
  
Max gently lowered Liz on her bed.   
  


"Maybe we should undress her," Isabel said.   
  


Max couldn't help but feel slightly uneasy.   
  


"Yeah, you do that, Isabel," he said.   
  


Isabel grimaced. "Max, I think I need your help," she said, noticing Max's discomfort. "I need you to lift her up, otherwise I will have difficulties to pull off her dress."   
Max swallowed, but after some hesitation, he nodded slowly.   
  


"Why don't you start by removing her shoes," Isabel instructed.   
  


Max nodded, letting out a soft sigh of relief. Removing her shoes...he could do that. That couldn't be too difficult. Isabel smiled inwardly as she watched Max move to the end of the bed. She started to pull the hairpins out of Liz's hair, freeing the restrained tresses.   
  
Max gentle put his fingers to the small clasp on Liz's shoe, feeling the texture of her smooth skin under his fingertips. After some fumbling, the clasp came undone and he pulled the shoe off the small foot. He repeated the process with her other shoe. Isabel put the last hair pin on the night stand and caught sight of her brother removing Liz's right shoe. His movements were so gentle. It was as if he was removing the shoes off a porcelain doll...   
  


"Max," Isabel said as Max put the shoe on the floor. "Come her and lift her up."   
  


"Okay," Max said softly, moving to Liz's side again. He put his arm under her shoulders and gently pushed her upper body upwards. He supported the back of her head with his hand, being extremely aware of the silky texture of her hair enveloping his fingers.   
  


He watched as Isabel put her hand on the zipper and he averted his eyes as he heard the zipping sound of Liz's dress becoming undone.   
  
He tried to focus on something else and suddenly a thought crossed his mind. He couldn't heal Liz as long as she was unconscious, if she even suffered from something that he _could_ heal. He had to have eye contact. But he could heal simple things without the other consciously cooperation. He closed his eyes and started to gather the energy inside of him that was always simmering below the surface of his skin. He focused on creating a channel which would serve to transfer the energy. He could feel his fingertips begin to tingle against the skin of Liz's head and then he slowly and carefully started to fuel her with his energy, hoping that it would help her somewhat. 

--------------------------------------------

  
  
She was crawling through the mud, the rain running down her forehead into her eyes, obscuring her vision. Then she heard laughter. It sent a chill down her spine since the presence of cheerful and carefree laughter in this milieu was eerily unnerving. She turned her head and saw a woman standing in the rain. But she was not wet. She was completely dry. The woman's mouth was formed into a loving smile and was looking directly at her. Then the surroundings started to change and suddenly she wasn't covered in mud any longer. The surface under her knees went harder, and for a moment she let her eyes travel around her surroundings. It had stopped raining, but she was still soaking wet. The dark, ominous forest was gone and instead there were high walls towering around her, closing in on her. She turned her head back to the woman and in an instant she just knew. She opened her mouth to scream, but the surroundings went blurry and she was suddenly on a green meadow, where the sun was shining. She blinked in the bright light. The sun was warming and comforting, but as she turned around on the vast open landscape, she realized that she was all alone. 

------------------------------------------

  
  
"Max, Max!"   
  


Max lost his concentration and re-focused his eyes on Isabel.   
  


"What are you doing?" she asked.   
  


"Nothing," he mumbled. She stared at him for a second, obviously considering if she was to let the subject go or pursue it further.   
  


"Can you put her back down? I need to pull down the dress," Isabel said.   
  


"Oh," Max said, and his eyes moved to encounter the bare skin of Liz's stomach. "Oh," he said again, embarrassment in his voice as he turned his eyes away.   
Isabel suppressed a giggle at her brother's antics. His face was turning into a nice red nuance and he was very eager to lower Liz's head back down on the pillow so that he could avert his eyes. But his tenderness with Liz was not lost in his hasty movements.   
Isabel pulled the black dress down Liz's body, pulling a little harder to get it over her hips. She put the dress on a chair nearby and turned her eyes back towards Liz.   
  


"Uhm... well, I guess we should've thought about that earlier," Isabel mumbled.   
  


"What?" Max asked, fighting very hard to keep his eyes away from Liz's body.   
  


"I guess we just have to lift her again," Isabel said.   
  
"We do?" Max asked, thinking of all the naked skin he had to touch in order to do that. Not that he didn't want to touch Liz, but strangely enough he wasn't sure he could even control his own feelings if he had to do this any longer. He had never reacted this way to a girl before. Maria had even at one time asked him if he was gay... He had to admit that he hadn't acted like all the other teenage boys as a teenager. But then he wasn't an ordinary teenager. He was an alien in a teenager's body, whatever that meant. Nevertheless, that had never been a good excuse, since Michael, who was just as alien as Max was, had always found girls extremely interesting. Even though Michael had never really dated anyone (he thought it was a waste of time), Max had caught him staring at girls a couple of times at school.   
  
But not Max. Isabel had always defended him and told the others that it was because he was just too shy to even utter one word to a girl that he was never able to start a relationship with anyone... They all knew, however, that if Max had wanted a girlfriend he could easily get one. Many girls in high school had been swooning over him and some had even asked him out on dates, just because he never asked anyone out. He always said no though, in a firm but gentle way. He just wasn't interested. But it was something different with Liz. Ever since he had first seen her in his premonition he had sensed that something was different about her. She wasn't just another girl. She was something more.   
  
"Max!"   
  


He broke out of his reverie by Isabel snapping her fingers in front of his face and he realized that she had probably been calling for his attention for some while.   
  


"Yeah, we should probably do that," Max said, swallowing as he put his arm in the hollows of Liz's knees, cradling the other arm around Liz's shoulder. He was only wearing a T-shirt and the touch of the naked skin of her shoulder blades against his bare arms was making his heart beat faster. He tried taking deep breaths. What was wrong with him?!   
  


"So, that's it," Isabel announced. "You can put her down now, Max."   
  


Max lowered Liz's limp body back on the bed, noticing the cold temperature of her skin.   
  


"Isabel, she's cold," he said, fear seeping into him.   
  


Isabel put her hand against Liz's stomach and then moved her hand to Liz's forehead.   
  


"She's cool, but not cold," she said. "Don't worry, Max. There's nothing wrong with her temperature..."   
  
She left the sentence hanging in the air, speaking volumes of everything else that _could_ be wrong with her. Max took a hold of the covers and pulled it over Liz, tucking it carefully around her body.   
  


"Does she has a blanket somewhere?" he asked Isabel.   
  


Isabel shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know... maybe in the closet."   
  


"Right," Max said, moving to the closet. He found a blanket neatly folded on the top shelf and pulled it out, spreading it over Liz.   
  


He sat down on the edge of the bed, stroking Liz's hair away from her forehead. Isabel watched him in silence for a couple of minutes. She was both wondrous and scared of the compassion she could see fleeting over Max's face.   
  


"Max, something's wrong with her," she spoke, breaking the silence.   
  


"Has anything like this happened before?" Max asked, thinking about all the moments he couldn't watch Liz...as for instance when she was working.   
  
Isabel shook her head. "Not that I know of...but Max, this isn't normal."   
  


Max looked up at her. "What do you mean?"   
  


"Max...."   
  


There was a beat, and she sighed. "I don't think this is such a good idea."   
  


"What?" Max asked.   
  


"Getting involved like this," Isabel said.   
  


"She's in danger, Isabel."   
  


"But what if she attracts something - _someone_ - to us."   
  


She knew that she was being selfish, but the fear of being captured and experimented on went deep and had after 18 years become an integrated part of her personality.   
  


"Why would she do that?"   
  


"She had a lot of spectators tonight," Isabel said. "It isn't normal to just faint at a party and then remain unconscious. We don't even know what's wrong with her. She's just laying there."   
  
Max looked at Liz, his hand moving down to take Liz's cold hand in his. What if she never woke up again? The thought of losing her was making him dizzy and nauseous...   
  


"I'm not leaving her, Isabel," Max declared adamantly.   
  


"This isn't just about you," Isabel said. "We are a group, and we have to make our decisions as a group. During these last couple of weeks, since you started to develop this new power, we have been patient with you and let you go off on your own crusades. But New York? Saving a girl? And now we are practically living here? Are we even going back, Max?"   
  


"Of course we're going back," Max said.   
  


"It doesn't feel like it," Isabel mumbled, noticing how Max was holding Liz's hand. "What you do don't just affect you. It affects all of us! Michael, Maria and me. Liz starts acting strange, people notice and suddenly people start talking. It's not good to be here when people start talking, you know that Max."   
  
"I know," Max said tiredly. He was so fed up with his whole life situation. Why couldn't he just be normal?   
  


"Maybe it's just for the best if we leave Liz alone, you know," Isabel suggested. "She must be confused too... two strangers walking into her life-"   
  


"You don't know what I've seen," Max said, pain in his voice. "She's gonna die, Isabel. My premonitions say that she's gonna die and I'm afraid I'm the only one who can stop it from happening-"   
  


"Max, maybe it's just not meant to be. Maybe there's a greater plan to all of this and she is meant to die-"   
  


"No," Max said, shaking his head. "She isn't meant to die. I get these premonitions for a reason Isabel...to prevent the future from taking place. To change the future."   
  


"I just think this is a bad idea," Isabel said.   
  


"Can you live with the fact that you are indirectly responsible for a girl's death?"   
  


"That's not fair, Max," Isabel objected.   
  


"It's the same thing. How can you just sit there and _know_ that Liz is going to die, and then _not_ do something about it?!"   
  
"We don't know her, Max," Isabel said. "We don't know anything about her past at all."   
  


"I know everything I need to know," Max said with certainty.   
  


Isabel just shook her head.   
  


"Well, I'm leaving," she said.   
  


"What?"   
  


"I'm going back to Roswell."   
  


"Why?"   
  


"Because I don't want to wake up in a laboratory one day," Isabel said. "I want to go back to Roswell and continue with my life."   
  


"Fine," Max muttered.   
  


Isabel looked at him. She wasn't comfortable leaving him, but maybe that would make him realize that he needed to get home too. That staying here was the wrong thing to do. Things were moving downhill too quickly and she was just so afraid that someone would get killed along the way.   
  


"I'll wait until tomorrow," Isabel said.   
  


Max gave an almost imperceptible nod and Isabel sighed in resignation.   
  
"Are you coming back with me to the hotel?" she asked.   
  


"I'm staying with Liz," Max said, having already made up his mind about that since he had found Liz laying lifelessly on the bathroom floor at the building where the party was held.   
  


"Okay," Isabel said. "Bye then."   
  


"Bye," Max mumbled.   
  


Isabel took a deep breath and then walked out of the bedroom towards the front door. She waved her hand over the locks, unlocking them, and closed the front door behind her.   
  
  


TBC...


	15. Chapter 15

_Thank you all so very much for the feedback!!_

_I know that it's confusing and that there are a lot of questions popping up all the time. But don't worry, the answers **will** come, just hang in there! :D And just so you know, I'm the kind of person who cannot leave things unfinished – so you don't have to worry that this story will be left uncompleted._

**Chapter 15**   
  
"I don't think he's coming home," Isabel said, emitting a tired and frustrated sigh.   
  


"Is he just gonna stay there?!" Michael asked at the other end of the line. "What the hell is he thinking? He can't just go away like that!!"   
  


"That's what I told him," Isabel said. "Look Michael, he's got it into his head that this girl needs his protection and he isn't going to stop until he knows that she is safe."   
  


"Damn Max and his good will," Michael muttered, "it's gonna get us all killed one day."   
  


"There's something different about this girl," Isabel said, bracing herself for the conversation she knew would be coming.   
  


"What do you mean 'different'?" Michael asked suspiciously. "Wait! You don't mean different _different_, right? She's an alien?!!"   
  
"No, she's not an alien," Isabel said quickly. 'At least not as far as I know,' she thought, choosing not to reveal her thoughts since she could already anticipate Michael's outburst to that.   
  


"Then what?" Michael huffed.   
  


"She had an episode today," Isabel answered vaguely.   
  


"An episode?" Michael repeated, confused.   
  


"Well, we were at this party and she was looking really pale and then she fainted," Isabel explained.   
  


"That's all? You think she's different because she _passed out_?!" Michael asked incredulously.   
  


"No... the thing is that she didn't return to consciousness immediately. Actually, she was still unconscious as I left her apartment thirty minutes ago and by then she had been unconscious for twenty minutes."   
  
"Maybe she's dead," Michael said bluntly.   
  


"Michael," Isabel sighed tiredly, rubbing her forehead, wondering why she was even making an effort to talk to Michael about this. "She's not dead. But now Max won't leave her side-"   
  


"He's still with her?" Michael asked.   
  


"Yeah," Isabel answered.   
  


There was a moment of silence.   
"Maybe Maria's right," Michael mumbled.   
  


"Right about what?"   
  


"That Max has a thing for that girl," Michael said. Images of Max gently taking off Liz's shoes, tucking strands of her hair behind her ear and holding her hand flashed through Isabel's mind.   
  


"That girl is screwing with his head," Michael continued. "We have to get him out of there, Isabel!"   
  
Isabel started to question her decision to call Michael. Michael was if possible even more suspicious and paranoid than her. At first smell of possible threat, Michael reacted by hiding. Now Max was jeopardizing Michael's present safe existence and Michael's only solution to it was to eliminate the problem. Even if there was no problem to eliminate.   
  


"What do we know about this girl, Iz?" Michael asked.   
  


"Close to nothing," Isabel said. "She's extremely secretive."   
  


But on the other hand so were they...   
  


"That means she has something to hiden and we certainly shouldn't get involved with people who have something to hide. If people are hiding something it logically means that there are people around who wants to find out what they're hiding... This is not good, Isabel. I'm coming to New York-"   
  
"No Michael," Isabel interrupted quickly. It was no good idea to have Michael in New York. He would only make the situation worse. Knowing Michael, Isabel knew that he would get Max more likely to stay if they met. Michael would start to accuse Max of abandoning his responsibility to their group and Max would argue that his powers were a part of him... Well, let's just say that it could get pretty ugly.   
  


"Let me try talk to him again," Isabel said.   
  


"We've already tried that-"   
  


"Michael, please," Isabel said, her voice softening.   
  


There was a loud exasperated sigh. "All right. But if you fail I'm coming to New York!"   
  


"Okay," Isabel agreed. 

---------------------------------------

  
  
"NOOOOO!!"   
  


Max jerked out of his semi-sleeping state. It didn't take him long to realize where he was. He was still in Liz's apartment. He quickly rose from his half-laying position in the chair positioned at the far side of the bedroom. He moved to the bed and the sight that met him cut in his heart. Liz was trashing about, her fists convulsively clenching and unclenching the covers. Her head was rolling restlessly from side to side. The animalistic cry that she had emitted ten seconds earlier was merely a memory as she know was back to her silent condition.   
  
But as Max averted his eyes to her mouth, he found her lips to be moving as if they were forming words, but no sound escaped her. The silence was eerie and Max sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes constantly moving over her body, trying to figure out what to do. _If_ he even _could_ do anything. A pained whimper turned his gaze back to her face and he noticed how her forehead was now creased in a pained expression.   
  


"Liz, Liz," he called softly, trying to wake her up.   
  


"No, please don't. No! NO!"   
  


"Liz!" Max said more sharply, putting his hands on top of her clenched fists. He could see tears running down her cheeks. "Liz! You have to wake up!!"   
  
He moved his hands to her bare shoulders, feeling the straps of her black bra against his palms, and started shaking her to snap her out of whatever painful state she was in.   
She started to worm around under his hands, her head moving more fervently from one side to the other. Right - left. Right - left.   
  


"Let me go!! Let me go!" she screamed, her voice dripping with the deadly anguish and despair.   
  


"Liz! It's okay, you're safe. Wake up!"   
  


He was startled as her eyes snapped open, her eyes open but empty. She stared at the ceiling as her lips was in constant movement, chanting the same words over and over again.   
  


"Don't leave me please don't leave me don't leave me please don't leave me don't leave me please don't leave-"   
  
"Liz," Max said, his voice softer. To his surprise, her lips stopped moving and she turned her head. Shivers went down his spine, goosebumps broke out across his skin as she turned her empty eyes to him. He could feel himself being sucked in by those vacant pools, not being able to stop it from happening. It was unnerving feeling. He felt as if she was draining him of energy, the vacancy left behind being replaced by something darker. Hopelessness, loneliness, sorrow, grief, despair- And just as quickly he was released from the ominous pull and as he now was looking into her eyes, he didn't found them empty any longer. They were instead filled with so many emotions, he couldn't read one single one of them....but they were all dark and mourning.   
  


"Please don't leave me," she said, and he felt as if she was looking straight into his soul, speaking directly to his soul.   
  
"I won't," he said, his voice hoarse from the emotions riveting through his own body and the feelings he could feel coming off her in waves.   
  


More tears pooled in her eyes and she shook her head. "No, you can't die!"   
  


Max ignored his confusion. "I'm not gonna die-"   
  


"I need you! I need you!"   
  


He was just about to answer as she threw her arms around him, pulling him desperately close. He quickly got over the surprise and wrapped his arms around her back. He could feel her fingernails digging into his back, but he didn't care. She was holding onto him as tightly as if she would die if she was separated from him.   
  


"I'm not gonna leave you, I'm not gonna leave you," Max said softly, his hand moving up to bury itself in her hair. Her sobs were echoing against the walls of the small dark bedroom.   
  
  
A couple of minutes later, her grip on him lessened and he realized by her soft breathing that she had fallen asleep. He slowly lowered her down on the pillow, feeling her still wet tears against his cheek when it brushed against hers as he hovered over her, trying to remove the grip her hands had taken on his shirt. With some unknown force he was able to tug her hands loose and started to pull away from her. Her whimper stopped his movements and his eyes worriedly returned to search her face. She was still asleep, but he could see fresh tears starting to roll down her cheeks. He slowly put his thumb to her cheek and brushed away the tears, then laid down beside her. He pulled up the covers and the blanket to cover her body and tenderly brushed his lips over her forehead.   
  
As he pulled back, her voice emitted that same helpless whimper as earlier and it stung his heart. It was the worst feeling he had ever felt hearing that she was in pain. She restlessly started to move about again, and afraid that she was entering the same kind of nightmare (or whatever it had been) again, Max put his arms around her and pulled her close to him. She immediately grew still in his arms, her face buried against his chest, his chin resting on the crown of her head. Finally, Liz could find a peaceful sleep and after an hour of contemplating over what had happened the last couple of hours, sleep also managed to claim Max's tired body and mind. 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
Liz awoke by the shrill sound of the telephone. Her mind still fogged with the mists of sleep, she lazily made her way out of the bed. She had a pounding headache and a dull aching in her abdomen. She walked out of the bedroom, her tired eyes missing the male jacket that was draped over the chair in her bedroom.   
  


"Hello?" she said in the receiver.   
  


"Hi Lizzie! It's Alex."   
  


"Hi Alex."   
  


"Did I wake you?"   
  


"Uh-huh," Liz answered, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.   
  


"It's after noon. Why are you still in bed?"   
  


"What?" Liz said, suddenly very much awake. She turned around to look at the clock on the wall, and let out a shriek.   
  


"What is it?" a very concerned voice cried on the other end of the line.   
  


"It's - it's nothing," Liz said, her heart still in her throat, looking at Max who had appeared out of nowhere in her apartment.   
  


"You're sure?"   
  
"Yeah. I just saw a spider."   
  


There was laughter in the telephone.   
  


"Jeez, Liz! I almost peed my pants!"   
  


"Sorry, Alex," Liz said, watching Max's apologetic face as he quietly sat down on the couch.   
  


"So what are your plans for today?" Alex asked. "Except sleeping, 'cause I hope that you 

were planning on doing something more than that."   
  


"Uhm...I don't know...," Liz said, her thoughts tumbling around in her head. What was Max doing here? Why had she slept so long? Why was her stomach hurting? And why couldn't she remember anything about what she had done the day before?   
  


"Something just came up," Liz said.   
  


"Oh," Alex said, disappointment in his voice, which caught Liz's attention.   
  


"Tell you what, Alex," Liz said. "I'll call you later, okay? You're at your brother's, right?"   
  


"Yeah," Alex answered.   
  


"Okay, I'll keep in touch. I just gotta take care of some things first."   
  


"Sounds fine with me," Alex said. "Talk to you later then!"   
  


"Yeah...bye Alex."   
  


"Bye."   
  
Liz slowly put the receiver down, turning to watch Max sitting on the sofa.   
  


"What are you doing here, Max?" she asked. She didn't know if she should be angry with him, upset or even bother to be surprised....   
  


"I'm sorry, Liz. I was meaning to leave yesterday, but then I fell asleep and-"   
  


"Max," Liz interrupted. "What are you doing here?"   
  


Max averted his eyes, avoiding to look at her. "Isabel and I took you home yesterday-"   
  


"Why does it sound as if I couldn't get home on my own?" Liz asked, a sense of unease creeping inside of her.   
  


"You were unconscious," Max explained. "You passed out at the party."   
  


"The party?" Liz asked, confusion written all over her face.   
  


Max furrowed his forehead. "Yeah.. the party," he said slowly, puzzled by the expression of utter bewilderment on Liz's face.   
  


It's terrifying when you realize that you have done things that you can't even fathom to begin to remember. In that moment Liz realized that her mind had once again repressed something. Something that Max know held the key to. Did she want to know what had happened? Or should she go with her mind and trust it when it had chosen to surpress the event due to its threatening character?   
  
"You don't remember the party?" Max asked, as Liz didn't respond.   
  


"Of course I remember the party," Liz said lightly, and now it was her turn to avoid _his_ eyes.   
  


"Has this happen before?" Max asked, knowing that she was lying.   
  


Liz closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Why did she even try to lie to him? It was as if he could see straight through her anyway.   
  


"Maybe," she said evasively.   
  


"What is the last thing you remember?" Max asked.   
  


"Uhm...meeting Alex. He was leaving last night- Oh, I've missed one whole day."   
  


"But you knew about the party _before_ you met Alex," Max pointed out.   
  


"I did?" Liz asked.   
  


Max searched her face, as his mind was juggling this last pieces of information, trying to figure out what was happening to her. He didn't like it, but Isabel seemed to be more and more correct when she had said that they didn't really know anything about Liz. There was something different about Liz. But there was something different about Max and Isabel as well... All he knew was that something had happened to Liz yesterday, something that wasn't normal.   
  
"Liz...are you sick?" Max asked.   
  


Liz raised her eyebrows in silent question.   
  


"Do you suffer from some kind of disease?" Max clarified.   
  


Liz shook her head. "No."   
  


Why would Max ask a thing like that?   
  


"What did I do?" she asked.   
  


Max looked down at this hands and swallowed before looking up again. "You passed out and you kept drifting in and out of consciousness during the whole night."   
  


"It's probably nothing," Liz said, pulling out one of her most brave facial expression and putting it on. She had embraced the art of acting like nothing was the matter. What she didn't know was that Max knew that game far too well because he was himself an expert at it.   
  


"Maybe I ate too little, or it was dehydration-"   
  


"You have some kind of amnesia, Liz," Max said.   
  
Liz shrugged her shoulders lightly and started walking towards the kitchenette. Max stared after her. He had almost gotten her to open up.... but just as he had found a way inside her secretive mind, she had pulled back. And he had a feeling that he wasn't going to get much more out of her for now. He was just about to follow Liz, as the sound of a his cell phone went off. He hauled up the cell from his pocket.   
  


"Hey," he answered.   
  


"Hey, Max," a female voice said at the other end of the line. "Remember me?"   
  


A small smile grazed Max's lips, oblivious to the fact that Liz was secretly watching him from the kitchen.   
  


"Hey Maria."   
  


"I just heard something and I thought I was going to run it by you first..."   
  


"Uh-huh," Max prompted.   
  


"Rumor has it that you are still in the big Apple and Isabel is on her way back to Roswell."   
  


Max closed his eyes, not being able to stop the tired sigh from escaping over his lips.   
"I guess you have a valid source of information," he said.   
  


"Where are you?" Maria asked softly. She had always thought that the others treated Max a bit too harshly. He deserved much more credit than he was given.   
  
"Uhm... in New York."   
  


"Well, duh!" Maria snorted.   
  


"Max! Do you want some tea..or coffee?"   
  


Max put his hand over the speaker of the cell, even though it was already too late.   
"Eh..."   
  


"Juice maybe?" Liz asked, smiling.   
  


"Juice would be great," Max said.   
  


With a nod, Liz disappeared behind the cabinets and Max put the cell phone back to his ear.   
  


"Who was that?" Maria asked, as if she could sense the second he put the cell phone back.   
  


"Liz," Max answered. He could picture Maria exactly then. He could almost see the big grin spreading over her face.   
  


"Oh, Liz," she said innocently.   
  


"So, how are things in Roswell?" Max asked quickly, eager to change the subject.   
  


"How do you think? You guys leave me here alone with a paranoid alien!"   
  


"Michael's not that bad," Max protested, unable to stop the smile from spreading over his face.   
  
Liz was watching him from the kitchen, warmth seeping into her heart as she saw his handsome face explode into the sparkle of a smile. She had never seen him that carefree before.   
  


"If you turn into a woman, you can have a say in that," Maria said. "So, have you kissed her?"   
  


"Who?"   
  


"Sometimes you're pretty dense, Max. Liz, of course."   
  


Max could feel the blood rush to his face and he self-consciously turned his head in Liz's direction. He wasn't prepared to have her eyes looking back at him. He was instantly being pulled in by those dark, warm eyes-   
  


"Maria," Max said, his tone warning her to back off.   
  


"Well, girlfriend. I'm curious! I want to know what makes this girl different from all those others that you didn't even bother to give so much as a second glance."   
  


"It's....something," Max said cryptically, as he watched Liz move out from the kitchenette, one glass of orange juice in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.   
  


"Yeees?" Maria said. He had to give her more than that!   
  
"I don't know what it is," Max said, his eyes captivated by the gracious movements of Liz's small hands as she placed the beverages on the small TV-table and disappeared into the bedroom. "I've got so many feelings inside..."   
  


Max's voice trailed off as Liz reappeared with a notebook in her hand.   
  


"Oh my God," Maria said slowly. "You're in love with her."   
  


"What? No, Maria," Max said, the red tone grazing his cheeks once again.   
  


"That just makes me so happy," Maria breathed, the large smile on her face seeping into her voice.   
  


"Maria..."   
  


"Ask her out on a date, Max," Maria said.   
  


"What?"   
  


"You know. A date. When a guy likes a girl, he asks her out on a date," Maria explained.   
  


Max sighed. "I know what it is, Maria."   
  
Maria giggled. "It's good to know that you haven't been completely desocialized yet."   
  


"I can't do that, it's-"   
  


"Dangerous?" Maria filled in.   
  


"Wrong," Max corrected.   
  


"Why would it be wrong?" Maria asked.   
  


"Well, why aren't you with Michael?" Max quipped.   
  


"Ewwww....Max!" Maria cried out, disgust in her voice.   
  


"Exactly my point," Max said, a hint of sorrow in his voice.   
  


Maria sighed. "But that's not due to his other-worldly status. Believe me, if he was of this world, I would not stand his guts either! "   
  


"Maria..."   
  


"Do you know what it's like to be trapped here with the 'can-only-use-maximum-two-words-a-day' alien? His race _must be_ inferior to humans."   
  


"That includes me too," Max said, careful not to mention to many revealing keywords in Liz's presence, like 'race' or 'aliens'. It could sound like a somewhat bizarre conversation to have.   
  
"No, Max. I'm not so sure if you two are even of the same race. Maybe you are from two different planets and you were having a competition through the galaxies with your spaceships and you both managed to crash-"   
  


"Maria, please," Max begged.   
  


"I mean, you must be so much smarter than Michael. Michael must belong to the Blunt Aliens."   
  


"Remind me again of why we're even having this conversation," Max said.   
  


"Is she there with you now?" Maria asked, quickly changing the subject. Max's eyes were magnetically pulled towards Liz at the question.   
  


"Yeah," he answered, his eyes caught by the sight of her lips grazing the tip of a pencil, her forehead creased in an brooding expression.   
  
"Ask her out, girlfriend," Maria said. Max nodded absent-mindedly, unconscious of the fact that his action could not be seen by the person on the other side of the line. His attention was on the way Liz's hand seemed to be moving in slow-motion to tuck a strand of dark hair behind her ear. That silky, lean hair. He could still feel the silkiness of that hair against his fingers-   
  


"Max, you're still there?"   
  


"Yeah, yeah," Max said, his eyes following Liz's hand as it reached out to take the cup from the table. He unconsciously licked his lips as he watched her put her lips slowly to the edge of the cup, tilting it to let the hot fluid seep through her slightly parted lips.   
  


"Okay, something else obviously has your attention," Maria said, feigning hurt, but on the inside she was still doing happy dances because Max had finally noticed a girl. Finally. After years of failed match-making attempts...   
  


"Sorry, Maria," Max said, forcing his eyes away from the angelic creature sitting in the arm-chair in front of him, her legs pulled up under her body.   
  
"Come back soon and rescue me from Michael, okay?" Maria said.   
  


Max smiled. "Promise."   
  


"Promise?"   
  


"Promise," Max repeated, his eyes being pulled back to Liz.   
  


As if sensing his distraction spreading over the telephone service, Maria chuckled.   
  


"Bye, girlfriend!"   
  


"Bye, Maria," Max said, his attention back on the conversation, his eyes resting on Liz's hand.   
  


"Ask her out," Maria said.   
  


Max rolled his eyes.   
  


"And don't roll those beautiful eyes of yours at me!" Maria said.   
  


"I didn't," Max said, feigning offense.   
  


"Right," Maria said. "You forget how well I know you!"   
  


"I'll call you later," Max said.   
  
"You better," Maria threatened.   
  


Max chuckled, shaking his head. "Talk to you later then!"   
  


"Yeah...say 'hi' to Liz from me," Maria said pointedly.   
  


Max couldn't resist to roll his eyes again.   
  


"And don't you ro-" Maria started.   
  


"I'm hanging up now," Max said.   
  


Maria giggled. "Bye Max!"   
  


And the call was disconnected.

TBC...


	16. Chapter 16

Oh my *blushes*... Guys, thank you **so** much for the feedback!! 

**Patti** – You certainly made my day, my whole week. Yeah, you probably made my year with your feedback!! THANK YOU!! 

**Christy** – Thank you sooooooooo much!!! I'm deeply touched with what you said! 

**Alex** – Don't worry, I **will** finish this. I've already written forty chapters plus six interludes. So, you don't need to worry that there won't be any chapters to read ;), I just have to find the time to update... Of course, your feedback helps a lot *hint hint*

Without further ado, here's...

**Chapter 16**   
  
  
Liz looked up from her notes as she heard the beep of Max disconnecting the phone call.   
  


"Sorry 'bout that," Max said.   
  


"No problem," Liz said. She was just happy that she had been given the opportunity to see another side of the mysterious Max.   
  


A silence engulfed them as their eyes locked. Liz looked into Max's eyes, noticing the warm sparkles of gold flickering in them. There was something about his eyes that ignited something buried deep inside of her.   
  


"So, what are you doing?" Max asked, nodding in the direction of the notebook placed in Liz's lap.   
  


"Oh," Liz said, breaking out of the spell Max had placed over her. "It's work."   
  


"Yeah...?"   
  


"Yeah, it's just a lot of lines and angles, but I can't seem to get them to fit."   
  


"Let me take a look at it - maybe I can help...you know, see it with new eyes."   
  


Liz shrugged her shoulders, reaching out the notebook for Max to take. "I guess it can't hurt."   
  


As Max put his hand against the bottom side of the notebook, his fingers brushed against Liz's and he could feel the electrical current spread to the core of his being. His breath hitched in his throat, and he looked up to see Liz looking at him with the same expression he suspected was masking his own face. Awe.   
  
"Thanks," Max said softly, his fingers pulling away from the contact with her soft skin as he moved the notebook to his own lap. He took a deep breath, trying to overcome the strong feelings her touch had created. "Okay, let's see."   
  


Max moved his eyes to the lines of the draft. It was all geometry, and she had almost found the solution.   
  


"Here," Max said, pointing at one of the lines. "This angle should be turned clockwise, and this one over here," Max moved his finger to another spot on the paper, "should be turned about 28 degrees."   
  


Liz scooted out on the edge of the armchair, moving so that she could get closer to see where Max was pointing.   
  


"Yeah, you're right," she said.   
  


Max was momentarily distracted by her close proximity. Her soft cheek was only inches from his, and he could smell the soft fragrance of her strawberry shampoo.   
  


"I can't believe I didn't see it," Liz said.   
  


Max tore his gaze away from adoring Liz's face, and looked down at the paper again.   
  


"You almost got it," he said. "You just needed some help."   
  
Liz turned her face up towards his, and he now found himself _very_ close to her. He could feel his blood heating up in his veins as his eyes automatically traveled to her lips. If he just pushed his head slightly forward he would be able to taste her red lips.   
Liz gave a faint smile, before she pulled away - putting some distance between them.   
  


"Uhm...," Liz said, diverting her eyes as she sat back in her armchair.   
Max silently took a deep breath, trying to cool down his body. What was wrong with him?   
  


"There's your juice," Liz said, waving her hand in the direction of the glass of juice.   
  


"Thanks," Max said softly, taking the glass in his hand.   
  


"So, what are you doing during the days?" Liz asked, taking a sip of her tea.   
  
Max could feel himself blushing, and he turned down his eyes.   
Liz observed his reaction, her feelings tumbling over each other - one after the other. Before the sentence had left her mouth, she had realized just _what_ he was doing all day...   
  


"Well, if you're gonna follow me around everywhere, then we might as well do something together," Liz said softly.   
  


Max looked up at her with surprise shining in his eyes. Was she serious?   
  


"Really?" he asked. Did she want to spend the day with him? Nothing could make him happier.   
  


"Yeah, we could just hang out or whatever. I can show you a little of New York," she suggested, really feeling up to doing something other than work for a day. And if the alternative to working was to spend time with Max she would more than happy do it.   
  


"Sure," Max said. 

--------------------------------------------

  
  
Liz giggled as Max hit another hole in one.   
  


"I can't believe that of all places you can go in New York, you choose to go and play miniature golf," Liz said. "But it seems as if this is a common way for you to spend your free time."   
  


Max shrugged his shoulders, grinning proudly as he bent down to pick up the ball from the hole.   
  


"This wasn't my best round," he said - trying his best to be modest.   
  


Liz laughed, shaking her head in disbelief.   
  


"Right!" she said sarcastically. "You have made 21 hits in 18 holes! How much better can it be?"   
  


"Well, how about 18 hits in 18 holes," Max suggested, walking towards her.   
  


"It's certainly better than 68 hits," Liz said.   
  


"Oh, you weren't that bad," Max said.   
  


"Nice try," Liz said. "Just admit that you really like to win."   
  


"It's just a game. It's not about winning, but about having a good time..."   
  
His voice trailed off as he saw Liz raise one of her eyebrow in disbelief, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.   
  


"Okay, it feels great to win," Max admitted.   
  


"I thought as much," Liz said. She looked down at her watch, noticing that it was getting late.   
  


"I'm surprised they haven't kicked us out yet," Max remarked.   
  


"This is New York, Max. The city that never sleeps."   
  


"Anyway, I'm beat."   
  


Liz nodded. "Yeah, me too."   
  


"Shall we?" Max asked, stretching out his hand towards the exit.   
  


"Yeah," Liz agreed. They returned their clubs and left. 

----------------------------------------

  
  
"I think it's going to rain," Max said, following Liz's gaze towards the black night sky. The glittering stars were obscured by a gray mist running quickly across the sky - as if every cloud was hurrying to be the first to release raindrops over the city.   
  


"Mmm..."   
  


Max diverted his eyes from the sky to instead come to rest on Liz's profile. There was something different in the way she held her head; in the way she tightened her jaw.   
  


"Is something wrong?" he asked softly.   
  


She jerked her head towards him, and for a second Max wondered if he had frightened her.   
  


"No, no," she said, so quickly that the simple one-syllable words stumbled over each other.   
  


He watched as one of the first raindrops fell on her forehead, unable to avert his eyes from her face. He felt a pang of worry in his chest as he saw her flinch at the contact, as if it was raining acid instead of water.   
  


"Let's just hurry home, okay?" Liz said.   
  
"Yeah sure," Max said, unconsciously stepping closer to her as if to protect her from whatever was making her uncomfortable. At first, it was just drizzling, but it didn't take long for the raindrops to grow heavier, become larger and fall with greater intensity and speed. Soon the rain was pelting down around them, dripping into their clothes and hair, running down their faces - Liz felt the beating of her heart increase and her body tightening as if preparing for something... With the increase of her heartbeat came an increase in her pace.   
  


Max was startled as he felt her small hand moving inside the confines of his fingers. He looked at her, searching her face for something - anything - that could explain everything he was feeling. That he was certain he was getting from her. But she was looking straight forward. If it hadn't been for the movement of her legs he would have been worried about the possibility that she was comatose. He was certain that she probably didn't even know that she had taken his hand. He took a firmer grip on her cold hand, hoping to send her comfort with the small act. They weren't far from Liz's apartment, but during the five minutes it took them to reach the front door the rain had managed to drench them completely.   
  
The stepped inside the building, shivering in the soft light of the hall lamp, rustling their wet clothes like dogs shook their drenched fur after a forced bath.   
  


"Uh... I really don't like the rain," Liz said, smiling warily.   
  


Max blinked. Her transformation was instantaneous. She went from being barely present, to the one he had spent the afternoon and night with.   
  


"I noticed," he said.   
  


Liz wiped her forehead with the end of her sleeve to get rid of some of the water that had decided to have a competition to see which could roll down into her eyes the fastest. The effort was useless though, since her sleeve was as wet as her forehead.   
  


"Let's go inside," Max suggested.   
  
Liz nodded, taking the lead up the stairs until they stopped in front of the door to her apartment. Her hands were trembling with the effect of the cold water against her skin as she tried to put the keys in the lock.   
  


"You want some help?" Max asked.   
  


"No, it's fine," Liz said, a soft smile playing over her lips.   
  


Max stepped back some to give her some more room. A few moments later there was a click announcing that the lock had been successfully opened and Liz opened the door, switching on the light as she stepped inside.   
  


"God, I really have to get out of these clothes," Liz said.   
  


Max nodded, and Liz smiled. "And you..."   
  
"What?" Max asked.   
  


"You also seem to have an urgent need of a change of clothes too."   
  


"Oh, can I have your red dress? I like that one," Max said, feigning enthusiasm.   
  


Liz giggled, and rolled her eyes.   
  


"No, _that_ dress I don't just lend out to anyone," Liz said.   
  


"No?" Max asked, raising an eyebrow.   
  


"No," Liz answered.   
  


"Then what does a man have to do to get into your clo-" He stopped abruptly, realizing what he was about to say and thereby insinuate.   
  


Liz laughed, turning around and walking into the direction of her bedroom. "I think I have some clothes of my father's that you can borrow," she said over her shoulder.   
  
Max stayed where he was, feeling the heat burning his face. Man! He had almost more or less said that he wanted to make lo- No, he couldn't think that - he _shouldn't_ think that.   
Liz returned, putting a pile of clothes in his hands.   
  


"There you go," she said. "My father is a bit...hmm... thinner than you." Her eyes uncontrollably traveled over his muscular broad chest, where she could faintly see the contours of his muscles pressing against the wet fabric of his shirt.   
  


"I'm sure it will be fine," Max said. "May I...?" He nodded in the direction of the bathroom.   
  


"Sure," Liz said. She watched as he walked towards the bathroom. It wasn't until the bathroom closed behind him, that she walked towards the bedroom to change into something much drier. 

------------------------------------------

  
  
Liz pulled the sweatshirt over her head, relishing in the soft and warm texture against her skin. She walked up to the full figure mirror and pulled back her wet hair into a ponytail. Max was still in the bathroom as she made her way out of the bedroom. She turned on a small lamp beside the couch - its light warming the room. Beside the couch was a small cupboard where Liz kept - among other things - candles. Hearing the wind whipping around outside, making a whining sound as if it itself hated being bruised by the cold raindrops, Liz involuntarily shuddered, thinking that this was certainly a good time to light some candles. The room needed the warmth. She crouched in front of the cupboard and opened one of the cabinets. Inside a great amount of candles were gathered. Liz had always favored candles more than electrical lights - so her stock of candles was pretty extensive. She reached in to take out some of the candles, but one little one escaped her hand, tumbling down over her thumb and hitting the ground. Thanks to its round shape it quickly picked up its pace and rolled across the floor.   
  
Liz let out a frustrated sigh, and rose to put the other candles on the TV-table. The fugitive had come to rest under the same table and she bent down to retrieve it. Max walked out of the bathroom just in time to see Liz hit her head in the glass table.   
  
"Oww," she cried.   
  


"Are you okay?" Max asked, hastily walking up to her.   
  


"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Liz murmured, holding her hand against her forehead as she rose.   
  


Max caught her elbow as she swayed on her feet.   
  


"Liz, sit down," Max said firmly. "You might have a concussion."   
  


"No, I probably just got up to fast," Liz protested, still holding her hand against her forehead.   
  


"Sit down," Max repeated, and as if to emphasis it he put his arm around her waist and gently started to move her to the couch.   
  


"Yeah...maybe I should sit down," Liz agreed, feeling a throbbing in her forehead. As Liz sat down on the couch, Max kneeled in front of her - his knees sinking down into the soft carpet. Max searched her eyes, worried about her unfocused gaze.   
  
"Liz, let me see," he said, letting his hand hover above the one Liz had let rest against her forehead as if asking permission to touch her.   
  


Liz wordlessly removed her hand, and registered the look of deep concern in his eyes before she turned her eyes to the hand she'd had held against her forehead. She found blood there - her blood.   
  


"Liz, you're bleeding!" Max said, his fingers brushing against the cut in Liz's forehead. "Wait here, and I'll get something to clean it with."   
  


"Thanks," Liz said quietly, her gaze still focused on the blood on her hand. Max gave her one last long look before rising from his kneeling position and moving towards the kitchen. He found a box of Kleenex, and wetted some under the tap. Taking the whole box and the wet Kleenex he walked back to Liz. She was leaning back in the sofa, her eyes closed.   
  


"Are you feeling dizzy?" Max asked.   
  


"Some," Liz answered.   
  
Max kneeled between Liz's knees, scooting as close as he could before the edge of the couch pushed into his chest.   
  


"Can you move a little closer?"   
  


Liz opened her eyes and nodded while straightening up. Max brought up the wetted Kleenex to her forehead.   
  


"This might sting a little," he said.   
  


Liz winced slightly as he put the Kleenex against her cut.   
  


"How were you able to hit your head like this?" he asked as he cleaned her cut.   
  


"The candle rolled under the table," Liz said, "and I thought I wasn't under the table any longer when I rose." She sighed. "I'm such a klutz."   
  


Max smiled while he concentrated slightly on her cut, sending some of his healing powers into it, knitting the skin slightly together. He couldn't make it too obvious - the wound had to remain - but he could take away some of the immediate pain, and ease some of the fluid pressure behind the wound - causing her dizziness. The cut would heal faster with his help - but she would never know what he did. She couldn't.   
  
Max put down the Kleenex on the table and let his hands rest on her thighs, as he looked into her eyes.   
  


"Do you have any Band Aids?" he asked.   
  


"Uh huh," she nodded, and started to get up. Max quickly moved his hands to her shoulders - preventing her from moving any further.   
  


"You just stay here," he said.   
  


"It's okay, Max. I'm fine now," Liz said.   
  


"Just tell me where the Band Aids are and I'll get them," Max said.   
  


Liz looked into his amber eyes, and instantly gave up. There was no use arguing with him.   
  


"They're in the cabinet in the bathroom."   
  


"Okay," Max said and got up, his hands brushing lightly over her thighs. The after effects of his touch spread through her pants into her skin, electrifying her nerve endings - sending millions of signals to the pleasure center in her brain.   
  


"Stay," Max said as he straightened up.   
  


"Staying," Liz said - smiling.   
  



	17. Chapter 17

Hi everyone!

Thank you soo much for the feedback!!!

**Mysticvysqiyi** – Thank you!!

**Christy** - *blushing* Gosh, Christy! Thank you so much for your feedback! It transported me directly to cloud nine :D

**Carri** – Wow, I inspired you to read Roswell fanfiction? I'm so honored!! Thank you!! Welcome to the Roswell Fanfiction family! :D And thank you soo much for the feedback!!!

**Chapter 17**   
  
  
_Roswell, New Mexico - The Crashdown Café_   
  
Michael sat down in the booth with a loud thud.   
  


"Hi, Michael," Maria said as she eyed him from her position in the booth.   
  


"Whatever," Michael grunted.   
  


"Nice to see you too." Maria said sarcastically.   
  


"Max isn't coming home - he's out there having his own escapades and he's putting all of us others at risk!"   
  


"Give him a break," Maria sighed.   
  


"Give him a break?! He's gonna get us all killed!!"   
  


"God, Michael! And I thought _I_ was the drama queen here! What's the big deal? He's only been gone for about a week and what is there to miss back here in little old Roswell anyway? I can understand why he's staying in New York."   
  
Michael glared at her. "Yeah, it's because of that girl!"   
  


"How about you let Max decide what to do with his life for a change?"   
  


"What do you mean?! He decides everything already!"   
  


"He doesn't." Maria objected. "The decisions he makes are all to help _you_. To benefit _you_ as a group. To protect _you_. He needs to think about himself sometimes! And I'm happy he finally is!"   
  


"Of course you are. You aren't one of the ones who is going to die!"   
  


Maria sighed, "Stop acting like a brat, Michael!"   
  


"What am I doing here anyway? You always take his side anyway..."   
  


Maria looked confused, "I'm sorry.... _What_?!"   
  


Michael shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever."   
  
"Don't give me that, Michael!"   
  


"Max's the good one, and Michael is the bad one. So of course, when _he_ screws up it's not such a big deal. He even has a noble cause."   
  


"How did he screw up, Michael?"   
  


"What if," he lowered his voice, "_aliens_ show up here and kill us all."   
  


"Oh come on! Even if that _did_ happen - which is very implausible since you haven't met any other aliens in your whole life, you don't even have _any_ information at all about who you are!! Besides, even if that did happen, there are still two aliens here who have powers. I think you can protect yourself without Max's help."   
  


"Of course we can protect ourselves! But what about yo-"   
  
He stopped, realizing he hadn't been acting like his usual 'tough-guy' self, meeting Maria's eyes. Confusion, suspicion, surprise, love - the emotions stumbled over each other, each flickering across her face in only a fraction of a moment.   
  


"You're worried about me," she said softly, touched by his concern.   
Michael sighed as if that were the most stupid thing she could say. "Of course I'm worried about you. You're one of the group!" The lightness in his voice trying to stop the turn the conversation had taken.   
  


Maria ignored his words, trying to prevent his true nature from disappearing into its shell. She reached across the table and took his hand before he had a chance to react.   
  


"Thank you, Michael." she said, the emotions clear in her voice.   
  


Michael looked at their clasped hands, unable to hide the surprise on his face.   
"No problem." he said gently, the warm flickering of his eyes making Maria smile. 

--------------------------------------------

  
  
_New York City_   
  
Liz woke up the following day with a pounding headache. Her eyelids ached as she tried to pull them upwards and her surroundings became clear to her. She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes again. The darkness those thin walls of skin provided her was heavenly bliss. Despite the thumping in her head, she couldn't help but smile as she thought about the day before; the day she had spent with Max. He had been so worried about her even though she had only bumped her head... nothing else. His concern warmed her heart. She could feel that a friendship was starting to form between them. She didn't easily open up. She knew that - and she tried to be more open and outgoing. But it was difficult. There was always something in the back of her head warning her that if she let somebody in, they would get hurt. Just by knowing her. Somehow she would end up hurting them. Just like she had Alex. She hadn't meant to stay away so long when she had left him that day, but the processes of real life and her inner turmoil had made it so. And she had hurt him. Who she was had hurt him. She was still surprised that he wanted to spend time with her again.   
  
"Oh no!" she cried, bolting upwards, and no sooner was she holding her hand against her throbbing head to stop the spinning. She had to stop getting up so quickly!   
  
She had forgotten! She was supposed to call Alex...yesterday!   
She was on her way over to the telephone, when destiny decided to get into the game. As she reached out with her hand to grab the receiver it started ringing. The unanticipated sound made her jump, and she had to take a deep breath to calm her instantly rapid beating heart.   
  


"Elizabeth Parker." she answered.   
  


A male voice at the other end of the line said, "Hello, this is Dr. Simmons."   
  


"Yes?" Liz said, the familiar fear discreetly creeping back into her heart.   
  


"Uhmm, can you please come over to the hospital?"   
  


And Liz's world started spinning. Her mind, her heart, her veins, her arteries, her tendons, her skin, every cell in her body was waiting with cold apprehension.   
  


"Your father has had a heart attack." 

--------------------------------------------

  
  
The seed engaged from its mother plant where it had grown into maturity. It was now time for it to become independent. To use everything it had absorbed into creating a life of its own. It used the gentle billowing wind for transportation as it floated through the skies. Its presence was humble, inconspicuous. Its existence not noticed by many, but nevertheless playing a pertinent subdued part in the whole scheme of things. It momentarily stopped and swirled around as its movements were given an attention it wasn't used to, before it moved on. Falling towards the ground in tender movements... 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
Liz watched the seed as it floated slowly past the windowpane. The sky behind it was cascading in a million different colors. The sky changed from one color into another, as if it couldn't choose which color it wanted to show and so tried to show them all simultaneously. The colors started off with light blue to shift into purple, to become lighter again, and then going into the warmest colors of red...orange, yellow.... If she could only be as free as that seed which was floating with the wind with a lightness and carelessness that only something that had yet to experience the harshness of reality could have. She would float on the wind, play hide and seek among the fluffy clouds, wrap herself up in the summer breeze and let the different fragrances tickle her senses. Fill her with life…   
  
A harsh cough brought her back to the very same reality that she wanted to avoid. She turned her head towards the pale shell of her father. That was the only way she could allow herself to think of him. As a shell. He wasn't really there. Her father wasn't in there any longer. He was hiding someplace, protected from the limitations of the human body. Now she could slowly see the fingers twitching with newfound life.   
  


"Daddy?" she asked timidly.   
  


The eyelids were slowly heaved upwards, revealing his pale blue eyes to her.   
  


"Daddy?" she repeated.   
  


She took his cool hand in a firmer grip and shifted a little in her chair to move closer to him.   
He coughed again.   
  
"You want some water?" she asked softly.   
  


He nodded with slight movements.   
Liz reached for the water glass on the bedside table and put the glass against his dry and parched lips.   
  


"What happened?" he croaked after having taken one sip of the water.   
  


"You had a heart attack, daddy," Liz said. "But the doctors are saying that you will be fine."   
  


Her father sighed and his head sank back down in the pillow.   
  


"Go back to sleep, daddy," Liz said. "You need your rest."   
  


"I love you, princess," her father said.   
  
For the first time since the fateful phone call with the doctor, her heart was filled with pain. She swallowed, ferociously trying to regain her calmness and the objectivity that had saved her on more than one occasion in her life. She needed to put some distance between herself and the suffocating events that were threatening to pull her down.   
  


"I love you too, daddy." Liz said.   
  


Her father gave her a wary smile, before he drifted back to sleep. 

--------------------------------------------

  
  
"Hey, Alex." Liz said.   
  


"Hi," Alex said. "So, you're alive after all."   
  


His tone bore a slight hint of sarcasm. He was hurt. By her.   
  


"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't call." Liz said.   
  


"I guess you just had better things to do."   
  


"I was with Max and I totally forgot about the time…"   
  


"Oh, so you were with Max."   
  


"Alex...listen...I'm really sorry. I was looking forward to seeing you, but things just came up-"   
  


"Yeah, Max, you said that."   
  


"Why are you like this?"   
  


"Maybe because I was looking forward to see more of you again. I missed you, Liz. And I honestly thought that you had missed me too."   
  
"I did. This isn't about that, Alex. I just forgot."   
  


Alex sighed. "Okay, I'm sorry Liz.... It's - it's really not about you. I guess you called at a bad time."   
  


"Has something happened?"   
  


"It's my dad."   
  


"Oh..." Alex dad was in the military, and he took the orders with him home. He considered the tough way to bring up a child the way to go. Alex had talked pretty much about him as he and Liz were living together.   
  


"Does your father live in New York too?"   
  


"No, but he decided to pay my brother a visit - of course when I'm living there. I guess that he still considers me the black sheep of the family."   
  


"Oh, Alex. I'm sorry."   
  
"He told me all about how I was a disgrace to the family because I didn't go to Stanford and yadda yadda. Well, all the old stuff."   
  


"Doesn't he understand how much that hurts you?"   
  


"Apparently not."   
  


"People like that shouldn't even be allowed to have children. They don't understand that they have the power to shape a new person's personality and life with just a few simple, thoughtless words."   
  


"I'm sorry for throwing this crap at you, Liz."   
  


"It's okay, Alex. You wanna come over?"   
  


"I would love to, Liz. Dad's still here, but he's currently out in a bar drinking with my brother and probably telling everyone who wants to listen about his accomplishments in the military."   
  


"That sounds really bad. How about some ice cream instead...and maybe popcorn?"   
  


Alex let out a laugh of relief. "Thanks Lizzie. I owe you!" 

-----------------------------------------

  
  
Max put down the receiver with a frustrated sigh. He had just talked to his mother on the phone. He wasn't living at home any longer, but his contact with his parents remained at a regular level. He often had his dinners there, so his absence had caused some confusion. Why would Max, who had never set his foot outside of Roswell except for the trips the family had taken when he was little, suddenly and abruptly leave to go to New York? That was something they would perhaps have expected from Isabel; she wanted to travel. Max had always been comfortable staying at home. He was responsible, and planned carefully before doing anything. He was cautious. But it wasn't the cautious Max that had gone to New York; it was a frightened Max. A Max who was afraid of losing someone who, from the beginning, he had sensed was going to mean a lot to him.   
  
As the immediate danger was now out of the way.... None of the premonitions Max had had about Liz had become reality, and nothing had happened in a while. He had even warned Liz about not going to any abandoned houses. He had not received any additional premonitions either since the vision about the abandoned house - and Liz slowly being tortured to death. He swallowed and closed his eyes - trying to force the numbing images to the back of his unconscious again.   
  
He had to go back - back to Roswell. His mother was worrying, his father was worrying - Michael was running amok. Isabel was almost having a nervous breakdown (well, that was what Maria had called Isabel's behavior since she had returned from New York without her brother), and Maria was on the brink of exhaustion from trying to keep the aliens in good moods and prevent possible disasters from happening every day. It was the cautious Max who would be returning home.   
  
But he would give Liz his cell phone number. There was no way he was letting her out of reach. He was even thinking of asking Liz to come with him...but she might be busy with work. Nevertheless, he had to talk to her.

TBC...


	18. Chapter 18

Hi everyone!

I'm deliriously happy right now. I just found out today that I've been accepted to the university I've applied for in Australia. My parents are a little concerned though of me going half across the world to study in Australia for five years (I live in Sweden...). Anyway, I thought I would just stop by and give you an update ;)

**Christy** – Thank you soo much for your feedback!! I love the really lengthy ones! You think this is better than S3? Really? Well, I have to admit that when the show started to focus so much on Isabel it got a little boring, but for you to say that my story is better than the original tv-show... Wow! Thank you!!

**Molly** – Yes, there are many mysteries surrounding Liz. But they will be explained later on... =) Thank you so much for the feedback!!

**Alex** – I'm glad you're back. I hope you had a great vacation (I'm assuming that was what you were doing... =)) Thank you so much for the fb!!

Btw, for those of you who are interested I'm starting a new fic. It's a Roswell fic (of course) and is M/L (duh?). It's called **"Love By Any Other Name"** and is an AU (Alternate Universe) fic. Here's the summary;

Max Evans has been married for two years. He and his wife are blissfully happy and have a beautiful two-year-old, but this all changes one fateful night. Liz Parker has a serious heart condition and without an immediate heart transplant she will die. Max and Liz's lives are about to change irreversibly by the actions of one drunk driver.

It's based on a challenge by a very talented writer called Deejonaise (you might have heard of her). 

Please check it out...

Now, back to "Lethal Whispers"...

**Chapter 18**   
  
Somebody else's pain can either increase you own pain, or it can lessen it. For Elizabeth Parker, Alex Whitman's difficulties with his father worked as the most effective way to forget about the fact that her own father was laying in the hospital after taking a glance into the windows of death. But not dealing with your own problems also meant slipping further and further into a state of denial. And when denial takes a hold of you., it quickly becomes the main dictator of your life. After having talked about everything between heaven and earth, they were now moving onto lighter things.   
  


"Oh no! But that's a total chick flick, Liz!" Alex exclaimed, rolling his eyes, sighing, and feigning exasperation.   
  
"You like chick flicks!!" Liz retorted.   
  


Alex grabbed his chest. "Liz! You're damaging my male ego!"   
  


"Just admit it! You _love_ 'Notting Hill'," Liz said, tempting him with the videotape by waving it in front of her smiling face.   
  


Alex opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it again and sighed, throwing his hands up in resignation and dropping back against the cushions in the sofa.   
  


"Okay, okay," he admitted, "I absolutely and completely _adore_ 'Notting Hill'!" Changing into his best female voice. "Hugh Grant is soooo adorable I could just eat him up!"   
  
"You're really weird, you know that?" Liz asked, giggling.   
  


"But that's what you love about me, right?" Alex said, pouting his lips and showing off his puppy eyes.   
  


"No," Liz said seriously, keeping her face straight as she inside was enjoying his slightly crestfallen expression. "That's only _one_ thing I love about you, Alex. You're the best!"   
  


The humor was gone and the seriousness of her statement hung in the air.   
  


"Love you too, girlfriend," Alex said, opening his arms and wrapping her in them. She was small in his arms, smaller than she had been before. More delicate and fragile.   
  


"So, how about that Hugh Grant?" Alex asked.   
  


"Well, I actually prefer Julia Roberts," Liz said, wiggling out from his arms.   
  
"Hey, that's my line," Alex protested.   
  


"Yeah, well...you stole Hugh Grant from me!" Liz said, getting up and pushing the videotape into the VCR.   
  


"Don't be such a hater!" Alex said sweetly.   
  


"I'm not so sure if it is even safe for you to watch 'Notting Hill'. Who knows what you might learn from Spike. And then... all of society will be in danger!"   
  


"You're fortunate to be so beautiful and so thin, otherwise I would...."   
  


"You would what?" Liz asked provocatively.   
  


"I-"   
  
And there was a knock on the door. 

"I'll deal with you later," Alex warned as she walked towards the front door. 

  
"Yeah, right Alex!" she said in disbelief, and opened the door, the smile still on her face.   
  


A deep pair of amber eyes locked eyes with hers.   
  


"Oh, hi Max!" she said happily.   
  


"Hi Liz," Max said, and hearing the music of 'She's the one' from the TV he looked over her shoulder and saw that guy.... Alex?   
  


"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Liz said.   
  
Wow. Liz was certainly in a good mood. She was absolutely radiant. But Max wasn't fooled. He could see something different in her eyes, something she was trying to hide. Judging from how she was behaving, she was very successful in her concealment.   
  


"I-I came to talk to you about something...but I can see that you're busy," he stuttered, and quickly added, "I'll just come back later."   
He turned around to leave, but was stopped by Liz's hand on his arm. He looked down at her small fingers grazing the texture of his shirt, and angled his head slightly so that he could look at her over his shoulder.   
  


"Why don't you stay?" Liz asked.   
  
Max turned around. "No, Liz. I can come back later." He looked over Liz's shoulder again and met that other guy's eyes. He couldn't help but feel...weird that _that_ guy was in here with Liz...alone with Liz.   
  


"You have company."   
  


Liz giggled. "Oh, Alex. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Liz turned around. 

"Would you, Alex?"   
  


Alex shrugged his shoulders. He _would_ mind actually. He had looked forward to having Liz to himself for one evening.   
  
"See," Liz said, turning back to Max, "Alex wouldn't mind."   
  


Max shook his head. "Thank you, Liz, but I'll just come back later. I- uhm..." He took a peek at his watch. It was already nine p.m. "Or maybe I'll just come back tomorrow."   
  


Liz stepped closer to him and he could feel his body warm up as the distance between them decreased.   
  


"Come back later, Max," Liz said softly as if sensing that he had something important to say to her and that it couldn't wait. "Just give me a call before, okay?"   
  


Max nodded, and Liz smiled. "Bye Max."   
  


He met her eyes, looking deeply into them. "Bye Liz." His eyes lingered on her, before he turned around and left the apartment.   
  
Liz closed the door behind him and walked back to the sofa.   
  


"Max, huh?" Alex asked.   
  


"Aha," Liz nodded, a dreamy smile on her lips.   
  


"What is it with that guy anyway?" Alex asked.   
  


"What do you mean?" Liz asked, sinking down in the sofa beside Alex.   
  


"He's pretty intimidating," Alex said. "But I never would've taken you for the person to fall for the dangerous guys, Liz."   
  


"Let's watch the movie, okay?" Liz suggested.   
  


"I always thought you would meet some intelligent goody-two-shoes and you would start a little family with your picket white fence-"   
  
"Alex, if you don't stop talking, you're gonna miss Spike!"   
  


"I'm worried about you, Liz. What if he hurts you-"   
  


Liz turned away from the TV and looked at Alex with more determination than he had ever seen before in her beautiful chocolate eyes.   
  


"Max is not dangerous," she said. "He's just worried about me. I admit that maybe he seems a little intimidating, but he's not. He's the gentlest person I've ever met-"   
  


"Then what about the Band Aid on your forehead?" Alex asked, pointing at her forehead.   
  


"What? This?" Liz asked incredulously, touching her forehead.   
  


"Yeah. Did he hurt you, Liz? 'Cause I hope you're not protecting that scumbag-"   
  


"NO Alex! He hasn't hurt me! He would never do anything like that!"   
  


"Then how-"   
  
"I bumped my head in the edge of the TV-table, okay? It's made of glass and is pretty sharp. I was bleeding, but Max was here and he helped me."   
  


"Oh," Alex said slowly, trying to decide if he should trust the honesty in 

Liz's eyes or distrust her just to be able to protect her.   
  


"Alex," Liz said, putting her hand over his. "Thank you...you know, for worrying about me. But I'm fine. When you're not here, Max is. He's just as good of a friend as you are!"   
  


"Friend, huh?"   
  


"Oh no, you missed Spike trying on the T-shirts!" Liz said.   
  


'Okay, we are changing the subject very eagerly, aren't we?' Alex thought. 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
She wasn't answering the phone. He looked at his watch again. It was almost 11 p.m. She was probably just asleep, but that didn't mean he worried any less. He was only going to check up on her. He put his ear against the cold wooden front door and listened for any sound. He was met by silence. He put up his hand against the place on the door where the locks were positioned. He gathered some energy and let it float out from his fingertips, putting movement to the locks and slowly making them turn. Then he slowly opened the door. He knew that he was more or less invading her privacy, but he didn't want to wake her if she was asleep (which she probably was...she was just sleeping, she was fine, she was just fine) and he was only going to check up on her.   
  
The apartment was dark, with only a small lamp struggling to keep away as much of the darkness as possible. He stepped inside and immediately spotted her. She was on the sofa - asleep. Her arm was working as support for her head, and her knees were pulled up to her stomach. Closing the door behind him, he walked toward her as slowly and as soundlessly as he could. As he got closer he could see that she was slightly trembling. There was a blanket by her feet, which she had probably kicked off. He reached for the blanket and draped it over her. She murmured something in her sleep and moved under the blanket, before she grew still again.   
  
Max got down on his knees by the couch, his eyes drinking her sleeping face up. God, she was beautiful. Her dark hair was in a ponytail, but it had started to come undone. Soft strands had found their way out of the confinement of the ribbon and were framing her face. As if a force he couldn't control took control over him, his hand drifted up towards her face. The pull to touch her was magnetic. He needed to feel the softness of that hair against his fingers. He needed to feel if her skin was as soft as it appeared to be. His hand went behind her head, releasing her hair from the ribbon. It softly billowed out around her face.   
  
Her eyes were moving behind her eyelids with a fervent speed, but she looked rather peaceful. Max realized with relief that she probably wasn't having any nightmares. He slowly threaded his fingers through her dark tresses, letting his fingertips linger at the top of her forehead before diving into the hair.   
  
  
Liz pulled herself up to the brink of consciousness, feeling that she wasn't alone. But the feeling didn't scare her. It was comforting, and she instantly knew that it was Max.   
  


"Max?"   
  


He was so caught up in the sleeping beauty before him that hearing her suddenly speak startled him. Because of that he didn't even contemplate over the fact that Liz knew it was him even before she had opened her eyes.   
  


"Hey," he said softly, his voice hardly above a whisper. "I didn't mean to wake you."   
  


She slowly opened her eyes, her eyelids heavy with sleep.   
  


"I must have fallen asleep right after," she yawned,"...right after Alex left."   
  


"You should go back to sleep, Liz."   
  
"Mhmm," Liz agreed, her eyelids closing. Max's hand was still stroking her hair and it was so calming. So comforting. She slowly opened her eyes again.   
  


"No," she said. "You wanted to talk to me about something."   
  


"It's okay, we can talk tomorrow. You're tired, Liz."   
  


"Nah-uh," she said, yawning. "I'm just beginning to...." yawn, "wake," yawn, "up."   
  


Max smiled softly. "Right."   
  


"How did you get in anyway?" Liz asked.   
  


Max glanced over at the door. "Uhm...the door wasn't locked."   
  


"It wasn't? That's weird; I could've sworn I locked it after Alex left. Lucky for me that you showed up then."   
  
Max grimaced inwardly. He hated this, lying to her, to keep such a big part of himself hidden from her.   
  


He nodded. "Yeah."   
  


Liz yawned again, and Max couldn't help but smile.   
  


"You can tell me what you wanted to tell me," Liz said, "and I'm just gonna lie here and listen...to your beautiful," yawn, "voice."   
  


She was talking very slowly; her eyes already shut.   
  


"You want me to come by at work?" Max asked.   
  


"No, you can tell me now. It's important."   
  


"Liz..."   
  


"Max..." She yawned again and curled up more into a ball under the blanket.   
  


"Are you cold?"   
  


"No, I'm fine."   
  
"When do you get off work?"   
  


"I don't know...nine."   
  


"Okay, I come by then... you should probably go to your bed."   
  


"Mhmm...," Liz voiced, "I'm gonna have the worst wryneck if I sleep here like this. I'm just so tired."   
  


"How about door-to-door service?" Max suggested.   
  


"What...?"   
  


Max moved his hand from absently stroking her hair and cradled it against her shoulder blades. The other hand he moved in the hollows of her knees and gently cradled her against his chest. She put her arms around his neck, yawning again.   
  


"Come here," he said, lifting her effortlessly from the couch, as if he had been born merely for the purpose of carrying her close to his body.   
  
She closed her eyes, relishing in the feel of his strong arms around her. She had never felt more protected than she did at that moment in his arms. She started to doze off as Max's spicy scent surrounded her. She was already asleep as Max put her down on the bed. He took the blanket and tucked her in.   
  


"Sweet dreams," he whispered. With one last look he left her to do just that.

TBC... 


	19. Chapter 19

Hey everyone!!

I'm sneaking by to give you an update, since I figured it has been a while since last time. There are a lot of things I need to do now in preparation for the university, so I have to be very economic with my time :p

Thank you so much for your well-wishes on me getting into the University. It warmed my heart!! And about the feedback... **Thank you!** You are just the best!

**Molly** – *blushes* I know that there are a lot of questions and hardly any answers in this story. But please hang in there... I'm getting there! There **will** be answers. I just have to confuse you some more first lol... 

Thank you for reading!!

**Chapter 19**   
  
  
"Hi Elizabeth," Mr. Smith greeted her.   
  


Liz struggled with her briefcase. "Hi, Mr. Smith."   
  


Mr. Smith stretched out an helping hand. "Here, let me help you with that."   
  


"Thank you, but I think I've got it under control."   
  


Mr. Smith's worried eyes didn't go her unnoticed. From Max she had got the impression that she had made quite a scene at the party the other night.   
  


"Don't be afraid to ask for help," Mr. Smith said.   
  


"Don't worry," Liz said with a smile, "if I need your help I'll ask."   
  


"We're just worried about you, Elizabeth," Mr. Smith said.   
  


Liz brushed off his seriousness with a slight shrug of her shoulders, and delivered the typical Elizabeth Parker line. "I'm fine."   
  
She tried her best to ignore all the looks she got as she passed by the people working at their computers to get to her own office. She closed the door, and leaned against it, taking deep breaths. She hated to be in the center of attention, and the attention she had received now made her feel like a freak. She closed her eyes, trying to find her calmness. She jerked out of her reverie by the ringing of her cell phone, and she was instantly filled with a bad feeling at the pit of her stomach.   
  
"Elizabeth Parker," she answered.   
  


"Hello, is this Jeff Parker's daughter?"   
  


"Yes, it is."   
  


"This is Dr. Simmons. I'm really sorry to have to say this, but your father has gotten worse... Are you able to come here?"

The caller was met with silence.   
  


"Miss Parker? Miss Parker? Miss Parker, are you still there?"   
  


"I'll be right there." 

--------------------------------------

  
  
Max stepped into the elevator and pressed the button that would take him to the sixth floor. He was nervous. He didn't want to go back to Roswell, and he was nervous about telling Liz that he had to. He didn't want to leave her. There was a plong, and the elevator doors opened. People were waiting to get into the elevator, and as he tried to get through the small crowd, he bumped into a lot of them.   
  
_He could feel her lips on his neck, her teeth raking his skin. Her hands were lightly brushing against his arms, as his hands found their way into her blonde curls._   
  
Just as quickly as the vision had started it ended. He turned his head quickly to see who had caused the vision, and he saw her. The woman from the vision. She was walking into the elevator, and as she turned her face towards his he felt a surge of resemblance as he saw her face, before the elevator doors closed.   
  
"May I help you?"   
  


He turned his head to see a red-haired woman on his right.   
  


"Yeah..." Max turned his head back towards the elevators. "Yeah," he repeated, slowly turning his head towards the woman again. "Can you direct me to Elizabeth Parker's office?"   
  


"Sure," the woman said, "you see that door over there?"   
  


Max nodded.   
  


"That's it," the woman said, her eyes tracing the features of the attractive man.   
  


His eyes were drifting between the elevator doors and the door to Liz's office. "Thank you."   
  


"Sure," the woman said, and walked off.   
  
Max took a deep breath and started walking towards the door.   
  


He lightly knocked his knuckles against the wooden door, and waited for a reply.   
  


"Come in."   
  


He opened the door, and poked in his head. "Hey."   
  


She looked up and her face shone up. "Max! Hi!"   
  


Max stepped inside, and suspiciously looked her over. She was sitting behind a huge desk, papers spread before her. Max couldn't help but notice that there was something different about her.   
  


"Are you okay?" he asked.   
  


Liz smiled. "Yes.. you wanted to talk to me about something?"   
  


Max looked at her under silence, trying to figure her out.   
  
He sank down in one of the chair across from Liz, and said, "Yes."   
  


"Shoot," Liz said, putting down her pencil and giving him her full attention.   
  


"I-I have to...uhm..."   
  


Why was this so difficult?   
  


"I have to go back to Roswell."   
  


He caught the look of fear passing in her eyes before it was shielded.   
  


Liz smiled softly.   
"Of course...you had to go back sooner or later," she said.   
  


He furrowed his forehead. He had anticipated many reactions from her. But this wasn't one of them.   
  
"Isabel has already left," Max said.   
  


Liz arched her eyebrows in surprise. "Isabel's left? When?"   
  


"Saturday," Max answered. "I was planning on telling you, but I never really found the right ti-"   
  


"Max, it's okay," Liz interrupted. "Don't worry about it."   
  


There was a beat.   
  


"Liz, are you feeling okay?" Max asked.   
  


Liz laughed lightly. "Of course Max. Why do you ask that?"   
  


Inside she was screaming at him to notice - to see beyond her traitorous words. To see that on the inside, she was falling apart.   
  


"You seem different," Max said.   
  


"Nothing's the matter with me," Liz said. "So, when are you leaving?"   
  


"Tomorrow," Max answered.   
  
She looked down at her hands in her lap. "Okay," she mumbled.   
  


"But I can probably stay if you want me to," Max said.   
  


Liz shook her head and looked up at him. "That's sweet, Max. But you need to go home. I bet living at the motel must cost you a smaller fortune."   
  


Why was she talking about motel costs?   
  


"Oh, okay...are you sure, Liz?"   
  


"Yeah, Max. It's no problem. I got along fine before you came into my life, and I can make it as you leave too."   
  


"I'm not _leaving_," Max objected. "I mean, I want to stay friends with you."   
  


"Oh," Liz said surprised.   
  
"Did you think that I was just going to leave you forever?" Max asked.   
  


Liz laughed lightly. "No, of course not."   
  


Her behavior was making Max very much at unease. Something was very wrong. Maybe he shouldn't leave.   
  


"I want you to have my cell phone number," Max said.   
  


"Sure," Liz said, and instantly picked up her cell phone to add his to the telephone book.   
  


"Okay," Max said slowly, and then told her the phone number as she pressed it into the cell phone.   
  


"You wanna have mine?"   
  


"Yes," Max said, the whole thing reminding him of when Maria and he used to trade sandwiches at school when they were little.   
  


"You want to write it down?" Liz asked, reaching for a piece of paper.   
  
"No, I'll remember," Max said absent-mindedly as he watched how Liz moved her hands, his watchful eyes not missing how her body was betraying her feelings. Her hands were trembling, she was somewhat out of breath, her face was flustered and her eyes looked so tired.   
  


"Okay," Liz said, her thoughts momentarily stopping to wonder about how he could have such good memory. She rattled off her phone number to him, and watched him watching her.   
  


They sat there looking at each other for a while, as if not knowing what to do. It was awkward, but at the same time comfortable. The silence was soundless, but simultaneously filled with the whispers of unspoken words.   
  


"Shall I follow you home?" Max asked.   
  


"No, thank you. I still have a lot to do."   
  


"Okay," Max said. "I'll call you later....before I leave."   
  


"That would be great," Liz said, not being able to hide the relief in her voice.   
Max nodded, and rose. "Okay then...bye Liz."   
  


"Bye."   
  


Max stopped by the door, his hand on the door handle, taking her appearance in one last time. He would watch over her tonight. Something wasn't right. 

------------------------------------------------

  
  
_She leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "Hi baby." __  
  
_

_The little girl smiled. "Hi mommy." __  
  
_

_"So, what are you up to?" __  
  
_

_The girl stopped moving her fingers over the keys. "Playing." __  
  
_

_She looked over her daughter's shoulder. "_Alla Turca_, huh? It sounds really good." __  
  
_

_"Uh-huh," the girl answered absent-mindedly. __  
  
_

_"There you are." The music created by the small fingers stopped as daughter and mother turned their heads towards the voice. __  
  
The man walked into the living room, a wide smile on his face.   
  
_

_He greeted his wife with a light kiss on her mouth. "Hi honey." __  
  
_

_"Hi," she answered, smiling warmly. __  
  
_

_"So," the man said, clapping his hands together, "are the two most beautiful girls in the world ready to have something to eat?" __  
  
_

_His wife nodded. "I'm starving." __  
  
_

_"I'm _really_ hungry," the girl announced. "It was fish pudding today at school," her face scrunching into a grimace, "and I didn't eat." __  
  
_

_"Sweetie, you have to eat everything you are given," her mother said. __  
  
_

_"I will - as long as it's edible." __  
  
_

_Her parents laughed, and her father tousled her hair. "Come here, you! Let's fill that empty stomach of yours with something edible then!"_

------------------------------------------------

  
  
Max put his hand against the lock and pushed the molecules into changing position. He slowly opened the door and walked into the apartment. It felt strange to be here without her. The apartment felt empty and hollow without her presence.   
  


He quickly walked through the apartment, feeling like an intruder, and used his powers again to open the door to the small balcony, where he would spend the night. He spread the blanket he had brought with him on the ground and sat down, his eyes automatically moving upwards to the bright shining twinkling stars. It was a clear starry night, and if it hadn't been for the alarm of the cars below he could've pretended that he was still in Roswell. All the vehicles - all the people were making him uncomfortable. It was easier to hide in big crowds, but it was also more difficult to find yourself, and he couldn't quite found the peace here in the big city which he had back in Roswell. The only time he felt peace was the time he spent with Liz.   
  
About two hours later he heard her come in, and he followed her with her eyes as she switched on some of the smaller lamps on small tables around the apartment. His back was hurting from the uncomfortable position, and the pricking sensations in his legs were trying to warn him that he should really change position so that blood could flow through the by now restricted blood vessels. But he couldn't move now. Then she might see him.   
  
His breath caught in his throat as she looked towards the balcony. He could have sworn that she was looking straight at him, her face partly shadowed by the darkness, partly illuminated by the light. But then she turned her head, and moved towards her bedroom. He shifted his body to look through her bedroom window. It felt weird to look at her like this, when she didn't know that he was doing it. He needed to be positive that nothing was going on with her, because then he couldn't leave for Roswell. Her withdrawn and secretive nature made it impossible for him to find it out in a normal way, so this was the only option. As she started to undress, he turned his gaze away, a red tone grazing his cheeks. Feeling the hard and rough bricks pressing into his back he sighed. This was going to be a long night.

TBC...


	20. Chapter 20

*waves cautiously* Hi everyone...

Sorry for not updating in a while. It's been a hectic couple of weeks. So, to make it up to you I have a suggestion. What if I were to post **two** chapters every time, instead of just one. Would that make up for my long absence? I'm really really sorry about that! So, I'm gonna post two chapters today and if you have nothing against it I will continue doing that.

Before we move on to the next chapter(s) I would like to say a big Thank You to **Charisma4** for all the feedback! That was great!! Thank you so much!! It means so much to me that you took the time to give me your honest opinion on almost every chapter!! I was completely blown away by that! And thank you for offering to b-read the chapters. I already have a beta-reader, she just hasn't read _these_ chapters. She came in later, so the future chapters will be better. 

And Christy e-mailed me this;

"I have a question though. Did Liz go to the hospital after the call she got from Dr. Simmons or what? Because, correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the call the same day as the day Max went to tell her about his going back to Roswell? I thought it was. And whatevr happenened to plan 'Convince Liz to Come to Roswell'? I thought we all (all--meaning:ME) had agreed that that plan was the most brilliant one of the millenium!"

To answer your question, Liz **did** get the call from Dr. Simmons the same day that Max came to her office. That's why she was acting so weird... Well, weirder than usual. I just never wrote about her visiting her father. And, just so you know, the plan "Convince Liz to Come to Roswell" is still on... 

A BIG hug to everyone who has congratulated me on going to Australia! You are just so sweet!! Thank you so much!! 

And thank you for the feedback!!

Here's the next two chapters...

**Chapter 20**   
  
Liz opened her eyes to the sound of the alarm. She tiredly glanced at the red digital numbers, and the next instant her eyes were wide open.   
  


"Oh no," she mumbled. She had overslept. She must've put the alarm on the wrong time yesterday, or she had turned it off in her sleep. She scrambled to her feet, her feet getting caught in the covers.   
  


"Oooh, stop it!" she frustrated ordered the covers as she tried to free herself from its teasing grip.   
  


With a loud sigh she walked out of the bedroom, her mind considering what she could skip. She didn't have to shower. She should eat something though. She walked into the kitchen, the pots slamming together as she tried to find the tea pot.   
  


"Ohhh!" She slammed the door to the cabinet shut, giving up on finding the pot. She was going to heat the water in the microwave instead. 

-----------------------------------------

  
  
Max jerked out of his semi-sleeping state by the sound of metal clinging and slamming against each other. He straightened, feeling the aching in his whole body; as if his limps had been put on his body in the wrong places, in the wrong way. He was very cautious to not be seen in the bright sunlight as he leaned forward to gaze inside the apartment.   
  
Liz was walking around the apartment, making herself ready for work. But Max had never seen Liz act like that. It was as if he was seeing a replica of his sister getting ready for school. Liz's movements were hasty and antsy, and her hair was flying around her face as she turned from one direction to the next. Her cool, casual and together exterior had been reduced to a faint memory. Max shot a glance at his watch. Yep, that was it. She was running late for work. But except for her slightly out of character behavior for the moment, the night had been normal. She had slept peacefully through it, as far as Max could see. And when Liz had left for work, he was to get back to the motel and start packing and book a flight home. 

-------------------------------------------

  
  
"Elizabeth, you're late," Mr. Smith said as Liz opened the door to the conference room.   
  


"I'm sorry, Mr. Smith," Liz said apologetically. She sat down in one of the chairs, and as discreetly as she could, started to unload the material to be discussed for the day, with the eyes of everyone else staring at her. She was trying her best to put up a shield to ignore the penetrating looks, but the day had started in the wrong way, and she had yet to regain her regular composure.   
  
"Well, as I was saying," Mr. Smith continued, "This new center is our number one priority. Brian; you'll fix the blueprints. Lisa, can you put together a questionnaire for the public-"   
Liz's brain was working fervently to rebuild every wall, because if she was confused and out of control unconsciousness was able to come back with a force that would drown her. 

-------------------------------------------

  
  
_Fifty minutes later_   
  
There was a knock on the door and a woman poked her head inside. "Excuse me, but there's a phone call for miss Parker."   
Liz looked at Mr. Smith for permission to leave, and he gave her a silent approving nod.   
  


"Excuse me," Liz said, getting up and getting out of the room.   
  
Two minutes later she was walking back to her office, her mind a blur. She barged into the office in search of her purse. After rummaging through her desk, she realized that it was still in the conference room, with the rest of her things. She walked out of her office, constantly taking deep breaths, trying miserably to calm herself down. She was so preoccupied with the attempt to gather her thoughts, that she wasn't looking where she was going. Before she knew what had happened, she found herself on the floor in the arms of someone.   
She looked up and found the person she wanted to met - let alone touch!   
  


"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she mumbled, trying to wiggle out of his grip.   
  


"No problem, Liz," he said. "Let me help you."   
  


He started to move under her, making it more difficult for her to get up. Her legs were tangling up with his, and her frustration was growing as it seemed as if he was only making it more difficult to get away. Her heart was slamming in her chest and her eyes were stinging with tears threatening to fall at any second. She had to get out of there. She had to get out of there before they knew - before they found out.   
  
"Let me go," she said between gritted teeth.   
  


"Calm down, Liz. I'm trying to help you."   
  


She finally rolled off him, but by then their little show had caught quite an audience. Her breathing was quick and shallow as her eyes frantically looked over the faces. She had to get out of there! She had to get out of there!   
  


"Liz?" He stretched out his towards her face. She recoiled and started moving backwards.   
  


"David? What's going on?"   
  


Her back hit the wall, preventing her from moving any further. She looked up through the wet and hazy curtain of unshed tears at the figure coming out from the mass of spectators. He came out of the lump of the imprecise crowd and materialized into a figure of his own. But she couldn't recognize him. She didn't recognize the man crawling towards her either. She only knew that she had to get out of there. Away from all the staring eyes and whispering voices.   
  
  
"Elizabeth... What's wrong?"   
  


Mr. Smith moved towards the petite woman pressed up against the wall. As he got closer she flinched backwards, her head bumping into the wall, as she couldn't get any further back. He furrowed his forehead as he saw the look of utter horror in her eyes.   
  


"David, what happened?" he asked the blond man sitting on the floor, two meters away from Liz.   
  


"She just bumped into me, and we fell," David said, shrugging his shoulders.   
  


Mr. Smith turned his attention back to Liz, and saw that tears were now running down her cheeks.   
  


"Liz, are you okay?" he asked slowly.   
  


She pulled up her knees to her chest and buried her face in her knees.   
  


"Liz? Talk to me."   
  
She started to slide to the floor, her body falling sideways until her side hit the floor. She curled up into a fetus position. Mr. Smith looked at her with confusion and awkwardness as her cries echoed through the now completely silent office. Everyone had gathered around Liz, wanting to see what was going on.   
  


"Judy," Mr. Smith turned his head towards the red-haired woman on his left, "can you get her cell phone for me?" _He_ couldn't get through to her, but maybe someone else could. Someone she trusted.   
  


"Sure, where is it?" Judy asked.   
  


"In the conference room, I think," Mr. Smith said, "In her purse."   
  


Judy disappeared to return only seconds later with the cell phone.   
  


"Search for phone numbers," Mr. Smith said.   
  


Judy started pressing the buttons.   
  


"There's only two numbers; one to her father and the other one to someone named Max."   
  


"Call her father."   
  
Judy pressed the button to connect the call to Liz's father and waited for someone to pick up. There was no answer.   
  


"No one is answering, sir."   
  


"Try the other number."   
  


Judy dialed the number to the one named Max and waited for a reply. It only took two signals.   
  


"Max Evans."   
  


"Hi. Uhm... I.. You..You have to come to Elizabeth's work."   
  


"What? Who is this?"   
  


"One of her colleagues. Elizabeth isn't feeling well."   
  


"I'll be right there."   
  


Judy disconnected the call and shot a glance at Liz before looking at his boss.   
  


"He's on his way." 

-----------------------------------------

  
  
Max rushed towards the elevators, and slid in before the doors closed. The elevator couldn't go fast enough. Something was wrong with Liz...again. And he had to get to her - get her out of there. The pling of the elevator, announcing the arrival on the sixth floor, was the most beautiful sound he'd heard in a long time, and he slipped through the doors before they had a chance to open fully. He found himself in the same office as before, only this time it was silent. The only sound to be heard was the ringing of some telephones, which no one paid any attention. It was not difficult to spot the crowd of people, and he started to quickly move in that direction.   
  
"Mr. Evans?"   
  


He barely registered the question, his mind so focused on getting to Liz.   
  


"Mr. Evans?"   
  


He turned his head, his pace slowing down. It was the red-haired girl from the day before.   
  


"Yes?"   
  


"She's over there," the girl said, pointing towards the crowd. Yes, he had already figured that much out...   
  


"Yeah..eh...thank you."   
  


The crowd parted, letting him pass through.   
  
She was laying on the floor, her legs pulled up to her chest, her head buried behind her knees. But she was conscious. He could see the cries raging through her body, he could hear the cries echoing off the white starch walls. He fell down on his knees beside her, stretching out his hand to remove the curtain of hair preventing him from completely seeing her.   
  


"Liz?" he asked softly.   
  
Mr. Smith immediately recognized the man. It was the same man who had been suffering from epileptic seizures, and whom he had helped Liz rescue that night about a week ago. He felt his body relax as Liz didn't move away from the man's touch. Obviously they had made the right decision by calling him.   
  
  
"Get me....out....of here," Liz sobbed, her torn voice and her red pleading eyes looking straight into his, causing pain in his chest. It was as if his heart was being punctuated with needles, and the painful sticking were transferred out into his arms, and the fingers gently stroking her hair. He never wanted to see her cry again. He would do everything he could to not have her crying. He tucked his hand in the hollows of her knees, the other supporting her back.   
  


"Put your arms around my neck," he whispered.   
  


With tears that seemed to have no end, running down her face, her arms encircled his strong neck. He lifted her upwards, cradling her close, trying to angle his arms so that her face was shielded from the intense curious looks of the spectators. Her face was buried in his shirt, her tears wetting it. The grip of her arms around his neck was tight, almost so tight it hurt. But he didn't care. He only had one purpose to fulfill. Liz's plea. That was all that mattered.   
  
Mr. Smith watched the young man lift up Liz. It was not difficult to read all the hidden messages in their body language. They were close, really close. Liz trusted this man completely, and the way in which Max protectively cradled Liz to his chest proved just why.   
Mr. Smith watched as the man started to walk off. But even though the man seemed uncaring to everything else but Liz, Mr. Smith got the deep feeling that he was in total control of the situation. That the man knew _exactly_ what was going on around him. Just because not knowing would put Liz's well-being at a risk.   
  


"Mr. Evans, her purse," Judy said, her red curls whirling around her face as she raced after the man.   
  


The young man turned around, and Judy saw how Liz's arms tightened around the man's neck.   
  


"Thank you," the man said, and Judy nodded with a weak smile, silently placing the purse in Liz's lap.   
  


"You want me to call a cab?"   
  
  
Max had already begun moving his legs again, as the question reached his ears. A cab? He hadn't thought of that. He was only thinking of how to get Liz out of here, but it was quite some distance to her apartment.   
  


"Yes, thank you," he said.   
  


The woman nodded, and hurried over to one of the telephones.   
  


"Max...please."   
  


He looked down at the fragile body he held in his arms, understanding her plea perfectly. They couldn't stay here any longer. They could wait down in the lobby.   
He turned towards the elevator, pressed for the bottom floor, and waited. He could feel trembles going through her body, and his worries gradually intensified. What if she went into shock? What if she became unconscious again, like last time... The elevator door opened, and Max quickly stepped inside. He could feel her tense body visibly relax as the elevator doors closed.   
  


"Liz, what's wrong?"   
  


He was still holding her, not wanting to let her go. Her face was hidden in his shirt.   
  


"Just take me home...please."   
  


Max tightened his arms around her. Nothing could stop him.   
  
  
TBC...


	21. Chapter 21

Without further ado, here's the next chapter...

_Disclaimer: The text in italics at the beginning of the chapter is the lyrics to Jewel's "Absence of Fear"._

**Chapter 21**   
  
  
_Inside my skin there is this space __  
It twists and turns   
It bleeds and aches   
  
Inside my heart there's an empty room   
It's waiting for lightning   
It's waiting for you   
  
And I am wanting   
And I am needing you here   
Inside the absence of fear   
  
Muscle and sinew   
Velvet and stone   
This vessel is haunted   
It creaks and moans   
  
My bones call to you   
In their separate skin   
I make myself translucent   
To let you in, for   
  
I am wanting   
And I am needing you here   
Inside the absence of fear   
  
There is this hunger   
This restlessness inside of me   
And it knows that you're no stranger   
You're my gravity   
  
My hands will adore you through all darkness aim   
They will lay you out in moonlight   
And reinvent your name   
  
For I am wanting you   
And I am needing you here   
I need you near   
Inside the absence of fear_   
  
  
Liz wiped her eyes in a desperate effort to remove the falling tears as she put the key in the lock. She was failing miserably. The tears kept falling and the only thing that kept her going was Max's arm around her waist, supporting not only her weak and exhausted body but also her fragile mind that was dangerously close to slipping into the unconscious. To run away, to hide, to give up. 

  
The keys slipped out of her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she sobbed.   
  


"Shhh," Max's soft voice hushed as he gently took her hand. "Let me."   
  


She closed her eyes, missing how Max didn't need a key to unlock the door, as she tried to fight off the feelings of nausea.   
  
Max opened the door, his eyes locked on her. She was leaning against the wall with her eyes tightly shut, tears running down her cheeks. The concern that had started out as a constant simmering under the surface since he had talked to her at her office about leaving for Roswell, had now been solidified into a knife, cutting through his heart every time he saw yet another tear fall down her cheeks.   
  


"Liz?"   
  
She nodded in answer to his unspoken question, and opened her eyes. The intensity of the emotions in her eyes forced him to avert his own. The emotions were unmasked, completely raw, and if what was displayed in her eyes was just a part of what she was feeling, he couldn't understand how she was still living and breathing. His arm tightened around her waist and he pulled her flush to his side. They let their movements speak as they moved into the apartment. His gentle movements of support transferred the desires of his heart. He moved her towards the bedroom, but just outside the room she stopped.   
  
"No....I gotta...," she mumbled. She quickly turned around, spinning out of his grip and dodged for the bathroom.   
  


"Liz...?"   
  


Max quickly went after her. He heard her retching before he saw her kneeling over the toilet. He kneeled down beside her, pulled her hair out of her face and supported her head with his free hand. Three minutes later, her body slumped over from sheer exhaustion.   
  


"I'm sorry," she whispered.   
  
"Don't apologize," Max said, stroking her hair away from her forehead. He stood up and wetted a paper towel. He kneeled down in front of her again, and gently started to wash her face. The paper towel tenderly moved across her forehead and down over her flushed cheeks to remove the tears. It moved over her nose, and over her lips. Her red eyes followed his as the towel moved across her face, fresh tears building up in her eyes. Her mind was letting her remember, and it hurt. It hurt so badly. She had to get away from him. He was too beautiful, too pure to be harmed. But her heart was in deep conflict. She wanted him to stay. She needed the comfort he could provide her. She needed to heal, and her heart was telling her that he was the one to do it.   
  
"I can't," she whispered, her voice cracking with her tears.   
  


Max put away the paper towel, and brushed his thumb over the tears on her cheek. "What?"   
  


"You have to leave. I will hurt you if you don't."   
  


Max's thumb stopped moving. "What are you talking about?"   
  


"I-I...you have to... I don't want to hurt you," she sobbed. "You mean too much to me. You have to go."   
  


"Liz, _what_ are you talking about?" Max repeated, his voice more demanding.   
  


Liz looked up at him, her bottom lip trembling. "Please Max," she whimpered.   
  


"I'm not leaving you, Liz," Max said adamantly.   
  
Liz closed her eyes, feeling relieved as well as guilty. "No, I'll kill you."   
  


With that her head slumped forward, her chin hitting her chest. Max's heart momentarily stopped, and his fingers surrounded her upper arms as he shook her.   
"Liz! _Liz!_"   
  


Her head rolled back, loose and limp as if her neck were the neck of a rag doll.   
  


He lowered her down on the cold tile floor, not hesitating for a second to put his hand against her forehead, the other at the back of her neck. He focused on her. Her smile. The way her dark hair billowed over her slender shoulders and shone in the sunlight. The gentleness in her movements. Her laugh. Her giggle. Her shy looks. Her shining doe eyes. How her scent was the sweetest combination of strawberry and vanilla. But as he searched after her in his mind, to find a place to connect his mind with hers, he found nothing but darkness. He couldn't get through. He pulled out again, feeling his mind falling back into his body, accustoming itself to its confinements.   
  
"Liz!!" he tried again, shaking her.   
  


"I killed her," she wailed.   
  


"Liz?"   
  


"I'm so sorry. It was all my fault."   
  


Max shook her again, but her eyes were closed, her mind unresponsive.   
  


"No, please. Don't die. Don't die."   
  


Max lifted her off the cold floor, and walked with her to the bedroom, a feeling as cold as ice spreading through his body at the inanimate nature of her body. If it weren't for the eerie agonizing wails from her mouth, she could've been mistaken for a dead person.   
He put her down on the bed, his hands starting to rub up and down her arms, hoping that the friction created between his hands and her sweater was enough to heat her dropping body temperature.   
  
"Let me die, let me die."   
  


He couldn't take this anymore. She was hurting. She was in pain. He moved his hand to cradle her face. Her face was really hot, in strong contrast to the chilliness of the rest of her body.   
  


"Liz! Look at me! _Look at me!!_" His voice was strong, demanding. He had to get through to her, and he was going to do whatever it took.   
  


"I'm sorry, daddy. I'm so sorry!" she cried.   
  


"Wake up, Liz! You have to _wake up_!"   
  


She inhaled sharply, her eyes flying open. She was staring at him, hysteria mixed with grief and confusion filling in her eyes.   
  


"I killed her, Max. I killed her!"   
  


"Who?"   
  
"Mommy," Liz sobbed, her eyes filling with tears. Max put his arms around her, pulling her upper body up against his and holding her tight.   
  


"You didn't kill your mother," he whispered, confident that all the emotions flowing through her right now were confusing her.   
  


"Yes. Yes, I did," she sobbed, "I called for her, and then she was....dead."   
  


Max stroked her hair, soothing her violent sobs as her body trembled against his.   
  


"And now I've killed daddy."   
  


"What?" Max pulled out of the embrace and searched her face. She was avoiding his eyes.   
  


"Please leave... I'm dangerous to you."   
  


And all this time he had thought that _he_ would prove to be dangerous to _her._   
  
"What happened to your dad?" Max asked, searching her eyes.   
  


Liz hesitated, as if she were afraid to tell him.   
  


Max cupped her cheek with his soft palm. "Tell me."   
  


"He... he... It's all my fault!" Liz sobbed.   
  


"No, Liz," Max said with such force that she immediately looked up at him. "This _can't_ be your fault."   
  


"It is-"   
  


"Liz. Tell me what happened."   
  


"He…he had a heart-attack."   
  


"Is he...?"   
  


Liz started crying again. "No." Her voice cracked. "But he's in the ICU."   
  
"Liz, listen to me. He's going to be okay."   
  


"The doctors say that he's-"   
  


"Forget about what the doctors say. _He Is Going To Be Okay._ I promise."   
  


Liz looked into his eyes and she saw the sincerity in them. Her heart cried out for her to trust him, to let herself be comforted by his words. Even though her mind told her that he could never really keep that kind of promise.   
  


Her head started to slowly move up and down.   
  
"Okay?" Max asked.   
  


"Okay," she sniffed, wiping some of the tears off her face with the back of her hand.   
  


But Max wasn't going to stop there. Liz had bottled up all of this inside of her for too long and it was something akin to a miracle that she hadn't broken down earlier.   
  


"Is your mother dead?"   
  


She looked down at her hands and nodded.   
  


Max placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "How did she die?"   
  


She squeezed her eyes shut, and her hand started to move towards his mindlessly. Max saw her hand seeking his out, and he took it in his, squeezing it tightly.   
"I killed her." Her voice was barely audible.   
  
"How did you kill her?" He was willing to go along with her belief that she'd somehow killed her mother if it would get her talking. There was no way this beautiful soul could kill her own mother.   
  


Liz's forehead creased in concentration. "I...I... I can't remember."   
  


"Yes, you can. Search deep in your mind. The answers are there, you just have to access them."   
  


This was eating her up alive, corroding her from the inside and out. She needed to deal with it.   
  


"I can't." Her voice was small, desperate, and full of grief.   
  


"Tell me about your mother," Max asked, trying another method.   
  


Liz smiled weakly, her eyes still closed, as if the memories were difficult to access, to see, as if they were painful.   
  
"She was beautiful."   
  


Max smiled softly. Like mother, like daughter.   
  


"What was she like?"   
  


Liz concentrated on the softness of Max's palms against hers, letting his calmness fill her. "She was funny...and… and she could always make me laugh. She loved us...my dad and I. And we loved her so much. She used to tell me stories every night as she tucked me in. She always kissed me goodnight and told me how beautiful and.... and....special I was. After...her death, I hated that."   
  


"What did you hate?"   
  


"Being special."   
  
Max could relate to that. All he had ever wanted in his life was to be normal, to be a human. Liz opened her eyes, looking directly into his soul. "It was because I was special that she was killed."   
  
Max shook his head, brushing away a loose strand of her hair from her face. "No. How would that get her killed?"   
  


He knew how _he_ could kill someone close to him because he was special. It had been one of his biggest fears growing up, and it still was. When he was little and had been having trouble controlling his powers he had been afraid that he would hurt someone with them. What if he suddenly set something on fire, or shot a deadly blow to someone? What if people from the government used people close to him in order to catch him?   
  


"I don't.... I don't remember," Liz said. "I just know that who I am killed her."   
  


"Liz, our memory often deceives us. It can highlight some aspects of our memories that were in fact rather inconspicuous as they took place. And someone might have given you a false memory. Some one might have told you that it was your fault-"   
  


Liz fervently shook her head. "No..."   
  
"How old were you when it happened?"   
  


"I don't know... maybe five."   
  


"Five?" Max raised his eyebrows. "You're trusting a memory you had when you were five?"   
  


He himself had no memories of when he was five, but that was because he was still incubated in pods at that time.   
She dropped her eyes.   
  


"It's very fuzzy."   
  


He nodded.   
  


"Max can we please not talk about this anymore?" she asked quietly, her eyes studying how her hand was joined with Max's. How right it looked. How right it felt. As if her hand were made to fit into his. She quickly shook off the thought.   
  
"Liz, you can't let this control you," Max said. She was so much in control that she was completely out of control. "You have to deal with it. I can understand if you don't want to talk about it with me, but you have to be honest with _yourself_. If you bottle up all these feelings and thoughts inside of you, they are going to destroy you."   
  


Fresh tears sprung up in Liz's eyes. The tears quickly filled her eyes, pushing out the excess of water down her cheeks.   
  


She looked directly at Max. "What if he dies?"   
  


Max took her other hand in his. "He won't. Trust me on this, Liz. He won't."   
  


"Are you still leaving?"   
  


Max smiled weakly. Who was she kidding? Did she actually think that he was going to leave her in this condition?   
  


"Of course I'm not leaving," he said. "Roswell can wait. You are far more important."   
  


She smiled weakly back at him, easing some of Max's concern.

TBC...


	22. Chapter 22

Wow, you guys! Thank you so much for the feedback! Here are the two next chapters...

**Chapter 22**   
  
  
Max took a deep breath and started to walk down the white, sterile corridor. He had to do this. He had to do this for Liz. He wasn't sure if she was able to survive the loss of the one person who was probably the closest to her. Her body would perhaps still keep going. Going to work, eating, sleeping. But her mind wouldn't be there. She had been so close the other day. So close to have her mind give up and fall into oblivion. Was it the feelings of guilt and self-blame, that she probably had carried around with her ever since her mother died, which were the causes of her breakdown? Or was there even more behind it? He needed to get her talking. He believed her when she said that she couldn't remember. Just as she couldn't remember that she had been at a party... She had to fight the reflex to forget everything terrible, but she needed something to fight for, something to make her want to fight to stay in this world. And Max was going to try to give her one of those things today.   
  
He nervously glanced down at the doctor's coat he was currently wearing. He didn't have much time. The molecules in his face felt out of place, pulling desperately to return to their normal position. He caught a glance of his own reflection in one of the windows, and he quickly averted his eyes. His reflection was freaking him out. His face was longer and thinner, as were his lips. His hair was blond, and his eyes were green. He was an exact replica of the doctor who had left the hospital ten minutes earlier.   
  
He walked through the doors marked _Intensive Care Unit_, his eyes quickly seeking the room out. He opened the door and walked in, and stopped dead in his tracks. She wasn't supposed to be here!   
  


"Uhm... Miss Parker?" he asked, concentrating to make his voice darker.   
  


She whipped her head around, a startled expression on her face. When she saw him she relaxed.   
  


"Hi, Dr. Simmons." The smile died on her lips as she caught his eyes. There was something about his eyes...   
  


"How are you?" Max asked. She had been sleeping as he left her this morning. How did she get here so quickly?   
  


"I'm fine, thanks," she answered, studying him closely.   
  
Max could feel her intense stares and started to distrust his disguise. But no one could recognize him, right? He met Liz's thoughtful eyes. Right?   
  


He started to move towards the bed. "You're here early." He looked at her father, wondering what the best doctor-like thing to do was.   
  


"Yes, I thought I would stop by before going to work."   
  


Was she going to work today? Only the day after she had an emotional breakdown? The words were out of his mouth before he had the chance to stop himself. "Are you going to work?"   
  


She looked at him dumbfounded. Why did she get the impression that he was beseeching her?   
  


"I-I mean," he stuttered, "you don't have the day off?"   
  


She was looking at him with a crease in her forehead, as if he were a code she was trying to decipher.   
  
"No, I have a lot to do at work..." she said. "How is my father, doctor?"   
  


"I was going to give him a check-up right now. May I...?"   
  


Liz nodded her head. "Yes, of course."   
  


Max looked at her. She had yet to move.   
  


Liz was looking at the doctor she had only met twice before. There was something different about him. Something familiar, but she couldn't pinpoint it. It was like when an old memory was just within your grasp, but yet too far away to be able to get a hold off.   
  


"Right." She turned around and started to walk towards the door. Max took a deep breath. So far, so good.   
  


"Dr. Simmons?"   
  
He turned his head to find her standing in the doorway.   
  


"How long will it take?"   
  


"Uhm...ten minutes...tops." Max answered.   
  


"Thanks." And she was gone. Max exhaled the breath he had been holding, and turned his eyes toward Liz's father, Mr. Parker. He was asleep, fortunately. The ECG by the side of the hospital bed monitored his heartbeats, the white lines moving into peaks and then diving into valleys, to move up into peaks again against the green background, the systematic pattern signifying the regular beating of his heart. The rhythmic pattern was the only outward sign that he still existed in this world.   
  
Max took a hold of the drapery and pulled it around the bed, preventing curious eyes from seeing what no one was supposed to see. Max pulled up the journal by the end of the hospital bed and flipped through the thin documents; telling a whole life history. Liz's father suffered from hypertension - high blood pressure. He could do something about that, right? He had never done anything like this before. The only extensive healing he had done was when he, one year earlier, had removed the tumors inside of Maria and all the sick cells multiplying throughout her body along with it. As his eyes fell on the sickly colored face of Liz's father, he was relieved that he had read something about medicine.   
  
Perspiration was already breaking out on his forehead. His palms were sweating. He had to focus. He closed his eyes and started to gather his energy. Pulling it together from every corner of his being. It gathered into a ball of energy ready for him to use. He opened his eyes again, the surroundings around him fading into a blur; the contours becoming unclear as the edges of Mr. Parker's face grew sharper. His eyes focused on Mr. Parker's closed ones. He lifted his hands to hover over the still form of Liz's father, moving them slowly over his body. His hand worked as a link, letting his energy flow through his hand and scan the body. He concentrated on reading the energy levels in the sick body, to find the abnormalities. His hand came to rest slowly over the man's heart, and he pressed it downwards, starting to surge his energy into the body. He slightly changed the size of the enlarged heart, making it easier for it to pump blood. He then moved on to follow every artery in the body, softening their walls from the fatal hardening, making it easier for the arterial walls to deliver oxygen to the brain, heart and other vital organs of the body.   
  
The intervals between each peak on the ECG decreased, as Max pumped his energy into Mr. Parker's exhausted body. Max pulled out of the connection with a gasp. He leaned against the bed, his forehead brushing against the covers. His legs were as weak as jelly, and he had to grab the steel handles on the side of the hospital bed to support his weight, and prevent himself from falling. His body felt worn, turned inside out. But he didn't have time to stay; he had to go before someone noticed him. He made his way out of the room, his movements somewhat awkward and clumsy by the physical exhaustion, and the exit doors closing behind him as Liz returned from the waiting room to get back to her father. 

----------------------------------------

  
  
He closed the door behind him, planning on returning to his hotel to retrieve some things. He wasn't planning on leaving Liz's side for a while. He stopped as he saw her coming around the corner of the stairs. A smile spread over her face as she saw him. She climbed the stairs towards him, her eyes shining. Max looked at her, transfixed by her glow. God, she was beautiful. She stopped in front of him, the smile never leaving her face and before he had time to react her soft lips brushed against his cheek. She pulled back, only to put her arms around him and bury her face in his shirt. Slowly, slightly confused, his arms went around her.   
"He's going to be okay," she whispered.   
Max closed his eyes, the feel of her soft kiss burned on his cheek, and relished in the feel of her in his arms. 

-----------------------------------------

  
  
"The doctors are calling it a miracle."   
  


"A miracle, huh?"   
  


"Yeah..." Liz searched out his eyes. "The doctors said that he didn't have much time left, and that there was a 85 percentage risk that he would die if he suffered yet another heart attack."   
Max nodded, drinking every excited movement Liz's body made up with his eyes. He cherished her happiness and her newfound inner glow.   
  


"And you know the really weird thing?"   
  


"What?"   
  


"He had these marks on his chest."   
  
Max straightened up in the armchair, his heart missing a beat. "Marks?"   
  


Liz nodded. "Yeah, silver marks. They almost looked like a handprint."   
  


The beats of his heart were pounding in his ears. "A handprint."   
  


"Yes," Liz said and took his hand. Max looked at their hands as if hypnotized as Liz fitted every finger together. Her pinky with his pinky, her index finger with his, pressing every fingertip together. Her fingers were small in comparison to his. "Almost the size of yours."   
  


Max stared at her, his breathing more shallow and strained. She was still looking at their hands, feeling the tingling in her fingers where they contacted with his skin. When he didn't say anything, she looked up to find him looking straight at her, and his reaction made her smile slip off her face. She instinctively moved her hand to his cheek.   
  
"Max? Are you okay?"   
  


He came out of his trance by the soft sound of her voice. "Yeah...yes."   
  


He brought up his hand and took a hold of hers that was lingering against his cheek. He moved her hand back to her lap. "What did the doctors say about that?"   
  


"Well...they didn't really say it was a handprint. They just called it marks, rashes actually. I just thought to myself when I saw it that it looked like a handprint."   
  


"Did you tell them that it looked like a handprint?" Max asked.   
  


Liz looked at his panic-stricken face, and frowned. "No...."   
  


He visibly relaxed, and Liz was confused. He was acting really strange. "Max... you'd tell me if something was wrong, right?"   
  


Max nodded absent-mindedly.   
  
"Right?" Liz asked again.   
  


"They just thought it was rashes?" Max asked.   
  


Liz could feel her heartbeat speeding up. His behavior was worrying her. It wasn't the calmness she was used to. He seemed eerily agitated.   
  


"Yes," she answered.   
  


Max quickly stood up. Liz looked up at him. He took up his jacket and pulled it on, and fidgeting with the zipper, he said, "I have to go."   
  


"Go?"   
  
He was avoiding looking her in the eye. "I have to get something from the hotel."   
  


"Are you going back to Roswell?"   
  


The hurt and anxiety in her voice stopped his nervous movements. It was as if someone had suddenly thrown a bucket of ice-cold water over him, and he realized what he was doing. He sat down again, and took both of Liz's hands in his.   
  


"No, I'm not leaving you. I'm sorry. I just...I'm not leaving you, okay?"   
  


He was looking directly into her eyes, his statement adamant and firm. It left absolutely no room for doubts.   
  
"Okay."   
  


"I'll be right back. I just have to get some stuff from the hotel."   
  


"You know, Max. You really don't need to stay here."   
  


They had never really met an agreement on him staying here. Max had more or less just decided to not leave her side. He had been very stubborn about it, and so she had silently complied. She had been too exhausted to protest. Not that she didn't want Max there to keep her company; she liked how he made her feel. Cherished and… safe.   
  


"I _want_ to stay here, Liz. And you can't talk me out of it."   
  


"I'd somehow got that impression," Liz said, the smile returning on her face.   
  
Max gave her a lopsided grin, which made her all warm and fuzzy inside and she could feel the smile on her face grow bigger.   
  


"I'll be back in a second. Don't let anyone in!"   
  


Liz couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Yes, dad." 

------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Hey, Maria. It's Max."   
  


"Oh hi!!" A very excited voice answered him at the other end of the line. "You couldn't have picked a better time to call. Michael is like-"   
  


There was a rustle of noise, and Max had to put the phone at an arms length as Maria shrieked in the telephone.   
  


"...bugging the hell out of me!" she continued between giggles. "Michael!! Stop it! Can't you see that I'm on the phone?!"   
  


Grunts that could only belong to Michael were heard over the line.   
  


"I don't even want to know," Max said, unable to prevent a grin from spreading over his face.   
  


"So, what can I do for you today, darling?" Maria said with her best British accent.   
  


"I have something to ask you."   
  
Maria grew quiet at his serious voice. "That sounds serious. What is it, Max?"   
  


"Did you..."   
  


"_Michael!!_ I swear you're gonna regret doing that!!"   
  


Max sighed. This wasn't going so well.   
  


"I'm sorry, Max." Maria loudly and exasperatedly sighed. "Spaceboy thinks he can sneak Tabasco sauce into my milkshake. Yeah right. Like I'm going to touch that milkshake after this phone call anyway."   
  


"Maria..."   
  
"Oh, sorry Max. Hang on a sec, would you."   
  


"Sure." Did he really have a choice?   
  


He could hear Maria scolding Michael, and he was happy that he was only present over the phone line. Maria did _not_ sound too happy.   
  


"No one is messing with my quality time with Max," she said as she returned to the phone. "You're still there, hun?"   
  


"I'm still here," Max sighed.   
  


"Max... is something wrong with Liz?"   
  
"Uhm....sort of."   
  


"Did you kiss her?"   
  


Max sighed loudly. "Maria!"   
  


"Sorry, sorry! I guess you didn't. What did you want to ask me?"   
  


"When I healed you...did you get marks?"   
  


"Huh? Marks?"   
  


"Yeah…this might sound stupid, but did you get something that looked like a silver handprint on you."   
  
He was met with silence. When talking with Maria, silence was never a good sign. Maria was _rarely_ silent.   
  


"Yes, I did."   
  


"You did?!!" Max was surprised. "Why didn't you tell me?" That didn't sound like a Maria thing to do. He would've imagined that she had been freaked and come to accuse him immediately.   
  


"I couldn't."   
  


"You couldn't?"   
  


"Max, you're my best friend. Even more now since I know about everything there is to know about…except some things I've chosen not to know about."   
  
"Yes...." Max prompted.   
  


"You were my best friend even then, and you were terrified after you'd healed me. You thought I was going to see you as some monster, right?"   
  


"Mhmm."   
  


"I noticed the handprint like the next day, and you know me. I freaked. I thought I was going to go around with a freaking silver handprint on my stomach for the rest of my life. Sure, silver goes with almost everything, but I didn't actually embrace the idea of having a handprint on my stomach while lying on the beach in my new bikini. Not like there's a beach anywhere close by, but you know what I mean."   
  


She was babbling.   
  
"Okay, and then I went through all my closets and cabinets. I think I tried about twenty different oils before calming down. You know which one made the trick? The one with eucalyptus..."   
  


"Maria, is there a point in there somewhere?"   
  


"Right, I'm getting to that. Hold your horses, healerboy!"   
  


Healerboy? Okay, that one was new...   
  


"Okay, so after I had, like, calmed down somewhat, I started thinking. My first instinct was to rush over to your place and ask you what your handprint was doing on my stomach, and strongly inform you that it was not wearing off..."   
  
"That what was I figured you would do."   
  


"Well, then I realized that doing just that would not exactly make the situation any better. If I showed up at your place and showed you that you had marked my body, I would just add to your feelings of guilt. And we both know how much you like to wallow in your guilt!"   
  


"Well-"   
  


"So I said to myself: 'Maria, if this is not gone within a week after numerous showers and a body peeling, you're going to Max. But not before that.' And one day after that, the handprint was gone."   
  


"It disappeared?"   
  
"Yes, as if it had never been there to begin with. God! All that negative energy over nothing! I think I even spilled one of my fragrance oils...Wait! If I never showed the handprint to you, and it disappeared one day after, then how is it that you know about it?"   
  


"I...uhm.."   
  


"Oh my God. You've healed Liz, haven't you? God! What happened to her?!"   
  


"Calm down, Maria. It wasn't Liz."   
  


"But it was someone!"   
  


"Yeah, it was her father."   
  


"Her father?"   
  


"He had a heart attack, and I tried to help him."   
  
"And now a mysterious handprint has turned up...Oh Max. I'm so sorry. I should've told you about the handprint. What if they decide to investigate it further."   
  


"I don't think they will. The doctors are calling it rashes."   
  


"Silver rashes?"   
  


"Uh huh."   
  


"Well, whatever works for them."   
  


Max smiled. "But it disappears right?"   
  


"The handprint? Yeah, it disappears, Max. And it should do that on Liz's father as well."   
  


Max let out a sigh of relief. Someone up there was being kind to him. Or so he thought....

TBC...   
  
  
  



	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**   
  
  
He knocked on the door.   
  


"Come right in, Max. The door's open!"   
  


Max raised his eyebrows in surprise. How did she know that it was him?   
He slowly opened the door, finding Liz talking with someone on the phone over by the kitchen. She smiled at him as their eyes met, and pointed at the telephone. Max nodded, and went over to sit down on one of the chairs in the kitchen, trying to be discreet as he watched Liz walk from one end of the kitchen to the other.   
  


"No, I'm fine... Mr. Smith, I really need to work. I have tons to... I'm sure it was just a thing going around... I just needed to sleep..." There was a pause. "Uhm... yeah... What? For so long? How about I only take the week off?" She looked at Max, shaking her head in disbelief at him, rolling her eyes. "Two weeks? What am I going to do for two weeks?" Liz put her hand against her forehead and nodded, as if she wasn't over the telephone. "Okay, two weeks...yeah, I'll do that...Yes, you too. Bye."   
  
With a sigh she hung up and slumped down on one of the chairs across from Max.   
  


"What's going on?" Max asked.   
  


"I'm being forced to take two weeks off from work," Liz said, pouting slightly with her beautiful lips. Max smiled. The majority of the population would be happy if their boss ordered them to take some time off.   
  


"Was that your boss?"   
  


"Yes," Liz answered. "He said I had to rest because I've been acting strangely... well, he didn't really say I had acted strangely, but that was what he was thinking."   
  


"Liz, I think it's a good idea."   
  
Liz rolled her eyes and sighed. "Not you too! Do you also consider me strange?"   
  


"Nuh-uh," Max said with a small smile. "Believe me, I know much stranger people than you."   
  


"Is that a good thing?" Liz asked.   
  


"Definitely."   
  


Liz put her forehead against the table surface. "What am I going to do for two weeks?" Her muffled voice asked him.   
  


"You can come with me."   
  


Liz looked up. "What?"   
  
"You can come with me to Roswell," Max said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.   
  


"Are you serious?"   
  


"Very serious," Max answered, looking ridiculously serious.   
  


Liz giggled at his expression. "I don't know Max..."   
  


"Come on, Liz. I think you need to get away from this city."   
  


"To the desert?" Liz asked incredulously.   
  


"Yes, to the desert. You know, 104 degrees, sun, no moving vehicles, dust."   
  


"Sounds alluring."   
  


"You need this, Liz. Have you even been outside of New York?"   
  
"Ah," Liz gasped offended. "Of course I have."   
  


"Aha? Where?"   
  


"Uhm... Washington..."   
  


There was a pause.   
  


"That's it?" Max asked.   
  


"Well… yes. But have _you_ been to so many places?"   
  


"One more than you..."   
  


"Where? Roswell? That doesn't count, Max."   
  


"When I was little my family took a trip to Florida."   
  
"Really?"   
  


"Yes, so come on Liz."   
  


Liz looked at him with a dubious expression on her face. "I don't know, Max. Maybe I should stay here with my dad until he's fully recuperated."   
  


"Didn't the doctors call it a miracle? I'm sure he's going to be just fine."   
  


"Yeah, me too...but I don't really want to leave so soon after I almost lost him."   
  


"Tell you what. How about I don't leave for three days, and you spend as much time with your father as you can until then. Then you can decide if you want to tag along or not."   
  


"I don't know..."   
  


"I'm sure your father wants you to take some time off as well... Come on, Liz. Please...."   
  


And out came the puppy eyes. As if she didn't have a problem resisting him before.   
  


She sighed in resignation. "Okay, you win."   
  


He grinned. Getting up from her chair, she said "And wipe that smug off your face," which only made him grin even more. Liz might come with him to Roswell! Could life get any better? 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
_New York City - Three days later_   
  
  
The rustle of the locks reverberated through the empty and quiet apartment. The door swung open to reveal three men in black suits.   
  


"I want everything searched, and take samples of everything you can find. Hair, unwashed cups, check the dustbins for Band Aids... anything."   
  


The other two men nodded, and answered in unison, "Yes sir." 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
_Albuquerque airport - Later the same day_   
  
Liz watched the bags starting to roll in on the conveyor belt, her eyes searching for her own. Max came up behind her, having purchased some beverages. It was certainly hot in New Mexico today, and Liz's body protested in every way possible. She was terribly thirsty, and her clothes, which felt to be in abundance, were sticking to her body.   
  


Max put the coke in front of her while still standing behind her. "Here you go-"   
He stopped as he saw her jump. She turned her head around and smiled relieved.   
  


"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" Max asked.   
  


Liz shook her head. "No, no. I'm just... it's just...I'm not used being out of town, and certainly not used to this heat!"   
  
"I warned you about putting on that extra shirt," Max pointed out.   
  


Liz took the coke from him. "Right."   
  


She opened the can, and put it to her lips, closing her eyes as she let the cold liquid float down her dry throat.   
  


"A couple of days, and you're used to it," Max said.   
  


"At least it's not raining." Liz put on a brave smile.   
  


"At least it's not raining," Max repeated. "Oh, there's your bag!" 

--------------------------------------------

  
  
"There he is," Maria said to Michael, and then started waving with her hand, succeeding not only in grabbing the attention of her best friend but also half of the airport. "Max! Over here!!!"   
  


"Maria, you don't have to be so quiet. He will never notice you then."   
  


Maria awarded him with a glare for a fraction of a second for the sarcasm before she returned her attention back to the dark-haired man who was now walking toward them.   
  


"Hi, Maria," Max said coming up to Maria. Maria pulled him into a warm hug.   
  


"Hey you. Nice to see your beautiful face again," Maria said in his ear.   
  


"I've missed you too, Maria," Max whispered back.   
  


"Okay, enough with the mushy mushy," Michael said.   
  


Max pulled away from Maria, raising an eyebrow at Michael. "Getting jealous, huh?"   
  


"Haha. Very funny, Maxwell." Michael nodded his head pointedly in the direction of something behind Max. "Who's this?"   
  
For the first time, Maria noticed that Max wasn't alone. A woman was standing behind him. Maria and Michael watched in fascination as Max stretched out his hand in her direction and she easily took hold of it.   
  


"Guys, this is Elizabeth Parker," Max introduced.   
  


Maria's face lit up.   
  


"Liz, this is Maria... and Michael."   
  


Maria stretched out her hand towards Liz, with a warm smile on her face. "Nice to finally meet you."   
  


Liz took her hand, and shook it, a slight hint of confusion marking her facial features. "Nice meeting you too."   
"I've heard a lot about you," Maria decided to clarify.   
  
"You have?" Liz asked, arching her eyebrows as she threw Max a suspicious look.   
  


Maria giggled as Max gave her a look that clearly said 'back off'. "Don't worry, Max. I'm not going to embarrass you..." She easily slipped her arm over Liz's shoulder and as she swiftly passed Liz's bag over to a slightly irritated Michael, she continued in a voice intended only for Liz to hear, "... at least not for now..."   
  


Liz smiled at the blonde pixie, looking over her shoulder at Max. Max just helplessly shrugged his shoulders.   
  


"Now I get why you preferred to hang out in New York instead of here," Michael said with a large smirk on his face.   
  


"Michael," Maria said, stopping. "Behave yourself."   
  


Liz giggled and couldn't help but wonder what she had gotten herself into. 

-----------------------------------------------

  
  
"Are you sure you were to turn left there?" Michael asked for the umpteenth time.   
Maria let out a groan of frustration. "Can you please stop questioning my driving. You've said that every time I've made a freaking turn!"   
  


"I actually have better things to do than to hang out in a car with you an entire day just because you can't find your way out of Albuquerque."   
  


"Do you think you can do any better? Oh wait, I almost forgot, it's not your car Michael! And no one forced you to come with..."   
  


"Are they always like this?" Liz whispered to Max. They were seated in the back seat with the expert drivers seated in the front.   
  


"Basically," Max said. "Sometimes it really gets on your nerves, but you get used to it. The secret is to concentrate on something else completely, then you won't even notice that they're there."   
  
"What are you whispering about?" Maria asked, looking at Max in the rear view window.   
Max put on the most innocent expression he could muster, which had Liz struggling not to start giggling. "Nothing."   
  


"Nothing, huh?" Maria asked. "Hey, Liz. You want to hear about the time Max kissed a frog?"   
  


"Maria!" Max exclaimed.   
  


"What?" Liz laughed, "You kissed a frog?!"   
  


"Yes, it was-" Maria started.   
  


"Maria! Not another word, okay!" Max warned.   
  


"Aww... you're such a spoilsport, Max. It's just sooo cute. Isn't it Michael?"   
  


Michael turned around in his seat, grinning at Max. "Yeah, it's just _adorable_."   
  


Max could feel himself turn beet red.   
  


"We won't laugh, right Liz?" Maria said, looking at Liz who was already trying to suppress all the images her mind was conjuring up of Max kissing a frog.   
  
"I was only six!" Max said frustrated.   
  


"I didn't go around kissing frogs when _I_ was six," Michael said.   
  


"No, you were chasing girls," Maria retorted.   
  


"Hey, which side are you on?" Michael asked.   
  


Maria ignored him, looking at Liz through the rear view mirror with sparkling eyes. "Max's mom had read him this story about this princess whose prince had been turned into a frog by a witch, and the prince would only return to human form if he was kissed by the one he loved."   
  


"Maybe I should be driving," Michael remarked, as Maria seemed to look more at Liz's in the rear view mirror than at the road.   
  


"So the girl traveled around in the villages and kissed every frog she could find..."   
  


"That's really gross," Michael said. "Who would want to go around kissing frogs? Well, except for Max that is…"   
  
Max glared at Michael, wishing he were somewhere else.   
  


"It's a _fairytale_, Michael," Maria sighed. "And the princess loved her prince..."   
  


"Whatever..." Michael said.   
  


Maria sighed again. "As I was saying, after hearing that story, Max was convinced that he would be able to find his princess by kissing frogs..."   
  


Liz looked at Max, and found him hiding behind his hands, his ears red.   
  


"...but it only took him one frog, then he gave up on that idea," Maria finished.   
  


"Then my alternative was much better," Michael said. "I would rather kiss girls than frogs, but hey - beauty is in the eye of the beholder."   
  


"Okay, now you've told the story. Can we _please_ get off this subject?"   
  


"Of course, Max," Maria said sweetly, and then caught Liz's eyes, "Isn't he just adooorable?"   
  


"Maria," Max groaned.   
  


"Max first kiss was with a frog," Michael said.   
  


"Just kill me now!" 

----------------------------------------------

  
  
"Are you going to be sleeping at Max's place?" Maria asked Liz.   
  


"Uh-huh, I think so," Liz said, glancing at Max for confirmation.   
  


"Isn't that a little tooo optimistic," Maria said. "Your apartment isn't exactly the most spacious, Max."   
  


"I know... but I'll just sleep on the couch. Liz can take the bed."   
  


"You don't have to do that, Max."   
  


"You shouldn't sleep on the couch, Liz," Max said, "I can take the couch, it's no problem."   
  


"'Cause you can crash at my place if you want to," Maria offered.   
  


"Or mine," Michael said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.   
  


"Michael, don't even think it," Max warned.   
  


"Thank you, but I think I'll stay with Max," Liz said. Maria and Michael seemed like good people, but they were still strangers to Liz, and she would be more comfortable in Max's company.   
  


"Sure Liz," Maria said. "If you need anything... a testosterone free day or something...just give me a call, okay? Max has my number."   
  


Liz smiled. "I'll do that." 

----------------------------------------------

  
  
Max closed the door behind them, putting their bags down on the floor with a sigh.   
  


"So, those were your friends," Liz said.   
  


Max grimaced. "Yeah...entertaining, huh?"   
  


She smiled. "Something like that."   
  


"So...this is where I live."   
  


Liz took a closer look around his apartment. It wasn't as she had imagined a bachelor's apartment would be. It was pretty tidy, and it carried a subdued comfort, making her feel instantly comfortable.   
  


"I like it," she said, walking over to the large living room window. "So this is Roswell, huh?"   
Max stepped up behind her. "Yeah, this is Roswell. A little more quiet than you're used to."   
  


"Definitely."   
  


"You wanna wash up?"   
  
Liz turned around and noticed how close Max had been standing. She found herself only inches away from his face. Time seemed to slow down and here eyes were automatically drawn to his lips. Those red, very kissable lips... She broke out of her momentary daze as he took a step back.   
  


"Sorry," he mumbled.   
  


She took a deep silent breath and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.   
  


"It's okay," she replied softly, suddenly becoming extremely aware of the sticky heat. "Can I take a shower?"   
  


"Yeah, sure," he said. "Follow me." 

--------------------------------------------

  
  
"Shower's all yours," Liz said, stepping out of the bathroom.   
  


Max's breath caught in his throat as he saw her step out from the bathroom, her body merely clad in a towel. His eyes drifted from her wet hair, to her bare legs.   
  


"Max?"   
  


He looked up into her face, feeling his face grow red with embarrassment.   
  


"Yes, thank you," he stuttered.   
  


As he passed by her, he caught a hint of her strawberry shampoo and the world seemed to slow down. His eyes pulled back to look at her. His movements faltered and he turned his head to watch her bare shoulders as she walked towards the bedroom. He could feel his insides heat up. He watched until she had disappeared completely from his view and took a deep breath and walked into the bathroom. It was going to be a cold shower today. 

----------------------------------------------

  
  
"Hey... what are you doing?"   
  


She gave a startle at his soft voice from behind her.   
She turned around and found him looking at her with that look she had grown to recognize more and more. He was once again worried about her.   
  


"Do you play?" she asked him, nodding into the direction of the piano at which she had been looking.   
  


"Sometimes," he answered. Her eyes took in his wet hair and T-shirt that revealed his muscular arms.   
  


"Would you play something for me?" she asked.   
  


His intense gaze was caressing her face, as it always seemed to do.   
  


"Sure…" he gave her a lopsided grin, "Any special requests?"   
  


"Play something you like," she said.   
  


"Okay."   
  
He walked past her, pulled out the piano stool and lifted the piano lid. It had been a while since he last played, but the keys felt natural under his fingertips. He put some pressure on the keys and gently pressed them downwards. The thin pieces of wood pressed on a string at the back of the piano, and a sound was heard.   
  
Liz swallowed and closed her eyes as Max began to play. The slow music started to fill the room. The tones slowly drifted around the room, reaching into the previously untouchable parts of Liz Parker's heart. She let the music fill her completely; let it awaken parts of her that had been put to sleep a long time ago. She didn't notice as tears pooled in her eyes. She wasn't aware of the fact that her legs had given out underneath her and that she slowly lowered herself down on the armrest of the couch. She was only aware of the music that Max's hands created. Feelings long forgotten, even repressed, struggled up to the surface; taking their first breath of fresh reality. Faces she had tried to forget swam before her face. People who had entered her life, and who had left her.   
  
The feelings slammed into her one after the other, and she lived through them one by one. Letting the music translate the deep and hurtful feelings into something bearable. Her tears mixed with the emotions, buffering their intensity. Shame, hurt, anguish, guilt, grief, loneliness, anxiety, abandonment, betrayal, loss, and an underlying intense longing to experience life; to live. The music, written by Mendelssohn, was so intense that her whole body shivered with each high note, her breath catching in her throat.   
  
Max stopped playing; lifting his hands from the keys, and looked at Liz. His breath caught in his throat as he saw that she was crying. Her eyes were closed and she was sitting on the armrest of the couch. Tears were running freely down her cheeks. He went up from the stool, and knelt down in front of her. Her breathing was shallow, as if she were on the verge of completely stopping breathing. Without a word he put his arms around her and pulled her against him. She sank into his arms, holding him tight. They remained in that position for what seemed like an eternity. Max was there, comforting Liz as the feelings rippled through her. The feelings had to rip up the old scars so that they could heal properly. It was like a broken leg had not been properly set and had healed in the wrong position. To have it heal properly she had to relive all the pain and anguish.

TBC...


	24. Chapter 24

*glances out from her hiding place behind a chair* Hi you guys... *blushes* I'm so sorry for abandoning you like this! Life is really wearing me out. But I'm back now and I have two new chapters for you. I hope that can make up for my absence... *looks hopeful*

**Dark Phoenix** and **Akashaa** – Welcome back, you guys! I've missed you here! And thank you so much for the feedback!

**Charisma** and **Christy** – Thank you so much for your feedback! I love it! It's very looong and you give great insights! Thank you! It means a lot to me that you take the time to leave those lengthy reviews!

**Chlo** and **elementalmoon** – Thank you so much for the feedback!! It means so much!!

And... here are the next two chapters... Starting with...

**Chapter 24**   
  
  
"Do you believe in life after this one?"   
  


"You mean like reincarnation?"   
  


"Either that or another place."   
  


"Like heaven?"   
  


"Yes."   
  


"I don't know. I guess I've never thought about it."   
  


"The thought comforts me, that there is another place after this. That it doesn't all end here."   
  


"My mother used to say that a person could have an old soul."   
  


Liz turned her head to look at him. "I think that's a beautiful thought."   
  


Max diverted his eyes from mindlessly staring at the ceiling and met Liz's eyes. "Do you believe there's any truth in it?"   
  


"Actually, I have living proof."   
  
He raised his eyebrows in curiosity. "You do?"   
  


Liz smiled, turning her head back to look at the ceiling. "I think you have an old soul."   
  


Max looked at her, surprise etching his features. "You do?"   
  


"Has your mother never told you that?"   
  


Max turned his eyes back to the ceiling, following one of the shadows dancing over its surface with his eyes. "No…"   
  


Silence fell over them, both staring up at the ceiling, immersed in deep thoughts. "Why do you think that?"   
  


Liz smiled. "It's just a feeling."   
  


"Aha..."   
  


"Max..."   
  


"Mhm..?"   
  
"Do you ever get the feeling that you have met someone before? I mean, even though you're absolutely certain that you haven't, you somehow still recognize the person."   
  


"Like you have met that person in another place...in another life?"   
  


"Yeah."   
  


Max turned his head to look at her again. "Yes."   
  


She diverted her eyes away from the ceiling once again and met his intense eyes. "I feel that way about you, like I've met you before. Somewhere."   
  


"As if I _know_ you."   
  


"You feel that too?"   
  


"How did you know to trust me when I first met you? I mean, I was pretty... impolite."   
  


Liz giggled. "You could say that... At first I was scared, but then I saw your face and I just knew."   
  


"Knew what?" Even though the answer could already be guessed.   
  


"That you could be trusted."   
  
He found himself being pulled in by the sincere shining of her big doe eyes. He was hypnotized by the small smile lingering on her lips and the way the shadows from the tree outside the window danced over her face. He sat up and looked down at her, stretching out his hand to her.   
  


"What?"   
  


"Come with me. I want to show you something."   
  


"What is it?"   
  


His mouth curled up into a lopsided smile. "You'll see."   
  


His easy smile made her feel warm inside, and she couldn't help but smile too as she stretched out her hand and placed it in his and let herself be pulled up in upright position from the bed by his arm. 

--------------------------------------

  
  
"Where are we?"   
  


"The desert."   
  


Liz slowly took in the surroundings. "It's really quiet."   
  


Max nodded. "It's what I like the most."   
  


"Isn't it...too quiet?"   
  


Max shook his head. "Sometimes it's nice to only hear the wind."   
  


"But it's almost windless..."   
  


"That's because you're not listening."   
  


She looked at him and smiled. He opened the car door and stepped out. He rounded the car hood, holding her gaze the entire time, and stopped by her side to open the door for her.   
He stretched out his hand towards her. "My lady."   
  


Liz took his hand and jumped out of the jeep. "Well thank you, my good sir."   
  


"You are most certainly welcome."   
  
Liz stilled in her movements, her smile faltering as she diverted her eyes up to the dark night sky. Max stepped up beside her, watching her as she was watching the sky.   
  


"Wow," she breathed.   
  


"What do you think?"   
  


"I've never seen so many stars in my entire life."   
  


Her eyes slowly moved from one twinkling star to the next. "It's beautiful..."   
  


"I often come out here to think, all by myself."   
  


Liz tore her eyes away from the bright spots on the black sky and watched his profile. She had the feeling that he was sharing something profound with her by showing her this place.   
  


"You never bring anyone else here?"   
  


"No…" His voice was barely above a whisper.   
  


Liz got the strangest feeling in the pit of her stomach. The fact that Max was inviting her into something that he had never let anyone else into before made her feel very special.   
  
When she didn't say anything, he continued, "That would ruin the purpose of this place."   
  


She turned her eyes back to the stars. "To be alone."   
  


"Exactly," he said.   
  


In that moment it felt as though they had reached some momentous milestone in whatever relationship was being formed between them.   
  


"Then why did you bring me here?" She couldn't help but ask.   
  


She could feel his eyes landing on her face, but she still kept her eyes locked on the starry night sky.   
  


"I don't know," he said slowly, "It's just... I don't feel the need to be alone... when you're with me."   
  


His soft confession made her heart flutter, but she couldn't make herself turn her head. Hence, while her body was reacting in the most bubbling manner to his statement, her mind had already started its slow retreat.   
  
"We should probably get back," she said, "It's getting late."   
  


Max watched her closely. When he thought that he had finally figured out something about her, she would baffle him with yet another act of confusing behavior. He couldn't deny that it hurt. It hurt to see her pull away from him. He felt like they were playing cat and mouse. As if he were hunting her for answers, quietly begging her to open up to him. He had come close tonight. After she had broken down at the piano, he hadn't been able to get her to talk about whatever was bothering her. But afterwards she had seemed more relaxed; as if her breakdown had disabled some of the walls that she had built up around herself, making it easier to talk to her about something other than the weather.   
  
As he watched her tear her gaze away from the sky and slowly look at their surroundings, he knew that they were more or less back at square one. 

---------------------------------------

  
  
"You hungry?"   
  


Max unlocked the door and held it open so that Liz could enter.   
  


"Famished."   
  


"Good," he said, "I have just the cure for that."   
  


Liz turned around and watched his retreating figure disappear into the kitchen. "You do?"   
  


"I'm going to cook something for you that you will never forget."   
  


Liz walked after him into the kitchen. "Really? Um…is that a good thing or a bad thing?"   
  


He looked up from his ministrations with the contents of his kitchen cabinets and found her leaning against the doorframe. The darkness of the living room behind her was blending with the darkness of her hair, and enhancing her large, dark eyes. The soft light of the kitchen lamp danced over her face, catching her soft smile. He could feel himself melt at the sight of her.   
  


"Hopefully good."   
  
"So, you can cook?"   
  


"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Elizabeth Parker," Max grinned.   
  


"Are we talking reheating pizza...or something more advanced?"   
  


"Hey! Where's the faith?" Max pouted.   
  


"Yeah, well... It's better to have low expectations, 'cause then you can only be pleasantly surprised."   
  


Max bent down and opened one of the lower cabinets to find a suitable pot.   
"I don't really know how I should take that," Max said.   
  


"It's my insurance, you know. Since I don't know you, I don't know what to expect."   
  


He looked up at her, feeling that her statement was loaded with a lot more than its intended lightness. "Well, life's about taking risks, right?"   
  


Their eyes locked and Max thought he saw something flash in her eyes. The first sign of any _real_ emotion in the last two hours.   
  
The clattering of pots falling out of the closet disrupted their staring contest. Liz moved toward him. "Maybe I really should be helping you." Her light and teasing voice broke the awkward silence.   
  


Max got up from his kneeling position and sighed in mock exasperation. He put his hands on her shoulders, trying to ignore the tingling that exploded in his fingertips at the contact, and started to gently push her out of the kitchen.   
  


"Go and do you nails or something," he said.   
  


"I don't do my nails," she said, feigning offense.   
  


"Then do what ever you girls do when you have some time to kill."   
  


"We go shopping."   
  
"Right. And what do you do when you're not going shopping."   
  


"We take loooong bubble baths with rose petals and burning candles."   
  


Max stopped, looking at her serious and somber face. "You really do that?"   
  


"Of course. Do you think I call my girlfriends over and we have pillow fights in our underwear?"   
  


An image of Liz in her underwear replaced the image of Liz in the bath, and he swallowed, quickly forcing the images away as he could feel his face getting hotter from her eyes.   
  


He pouted with a hurt expression on his face. "You don't?"   
  


She shook her head, her facial expression serious but her eyes sparkling, as she, with a casual shrug, gave him a simple "Sorry."   
  
"Liz Parker. Do you realize that you might've just crushed my little teenage boy heart?"   
  


Liz gave him a warm smile. He reminded her of a puppy. A very handsome puppy...   
  


"Okay, okay. You're right. We have pillow fights all the time! We don't do anything else!"   
  


"Thank you!" Max said with emphasis. He removed his hands from her shoulders and stretched out his hand and switched on the living room light.   
  


"Now," he started to move back toward the kitchen, "since I have a delicious meal to prepare you should...um... maybe...."   
  


"Take my clothes off?"   
  


Max stumbled, tripping over his own feet, and Liz had to suppress a giggle. His expression was priceless.   
  


"Wh-what?" he stuttered.   
  


"Since I should be having a pillow fight in my underwear," Liz helped him out, "when waiting for you to get dinner ready."   
  
"Oh," Max said, an expression of embarrassment, confusion and slight horror on his face.   
A giggle escaped over Liz's lips, and her serious facade fell. "Relax, Max. I'm just kidding."   
  


"Yeah…yeah, I knew that," Max stuttered, a blush spreading over his cheeks.   
  


"I'm sorry," Liz laughed, "I think I've spent far too much time with Alex."   
  


Max felt a sting of jealousy in his heart at the male name. "Alex?"   
  


Liz smile faltered a little at the tone of his voice. "Um…yeah, my friend. You know the guy who was at my place earlier."   
  


A tall lean guy with dark hair flashed through his mind. "Right, Alex." But he couldn't quite shake the disturbing feelings that had settled over him.   
  


Liz smiled again, but Max could see that it was now slightly forced. His reaction was making her uncomfortable. "He has a really weird sense of humor, and I guess it has rubbed off on me."   
  
Max mustered up a soft smile. "Right... well," he gestured toward the kitchen, "I should probably..."   
  


"Yeah," Liz said.   
  


She watched him move back into the kitchen and was just about to sit down on the couch when Max's voice stopped her. "Don't start that pillow fight without me!"   
  


She turned her head in his direction and felt relief spread through her body as she saw his easy smile.   
  


"Don't worry," Liz said. 

--------------------------------------------

  
  
_She watched her turn around, the warm smile shining on her face. __  
"I'll be right back," she heard her yell as her eyes sparkled with life.   
But then there was a loud drawn out honk, the sound resounding through her very spirit.   
"Nooooooo!!!"_   
  
Max jerked out of his state of sleep, an anguished voice reverberating through the apartment.   
  


"Nooooooo!!!"   
  


He bolted up in a sitting position on the sofa, the last tendrils of sleep clogging his mind quickly disintegrating as his dazed mind quickly put two and two together. He was at home, in Roswell. With Liz. Liz was sleeping in his bedroom. And she was screaming. He quickly untangled himself from his blanket and rushed to the bedroom door.   
  
She was in his bed but she was completely still. He quickly walked up to the bed, his eyes instantly falling on her face. Her face was contorting as if she were in agonizing pain.   
  


He took a hold of her shoulders and shook her. "Liz!"   
  


She whimpered, tears starting to run down her cheeks, but she didn't wake up.   
  


"Liz!" He shook her again, harder this time.   
  


She inhaled sharply and flung her eyes open. "Oh my God," she gasped.   
  


"Liz..."   
  


"I made her stop! I made her stop!"   
  


"Who, Liz? Who did you stop?"   
  
Her eyes were quickly moving over his face, her eyebrows creasing together in concentration. She moved her hands up to his face. "Who are you?"   
  


Max could feel the cold hand of dread take a hold of his heart again. "Max...."   
  


"Max." Her hands were lightly moving over his face, the lack of recognition still the most prominent part of her facial expression.   
  


Max could feel his heart beating faster with fear as her eyes kept darting over his face, still without recognition. "Don't you remember me?"   
  
"You're not Max," she whispered, "Why would you call yourself Max?"   
  


Her confusion had now turned into concentration, as if she were trying to figure something out.   
  


"Liz, I'm Max."   
  


"Liz..." She shook her head as she repeated her own name, "Noo... why are you doing this? Why are you saying that?"   
  


"Liz, I don't understand what..." His voice trailed off as she moved closer to him, her eyes fixed on his face in an almost hypnotic manner. He found himself trapped under her scrutiny, as if he were spellbound. Her hands were moving over his forehead, down his cheeks, over his jaw, her slow, gentle caresses leaving a trail of fire in their wake.   
  


"Nîmre..."   
  


Max's head jerked in her hands at the word. "What?" he breathed. "What did you say?"   
  
Before he had time to register what was happening her soft lips were brushing against his. He could feel the softness of her lips, their warmth. His eyelids drifted close and his hands automatically found their way into her hair, cradling the back of her head and pressing her mouth closer to his. What started out as small ticklish tingles at the sensitive skin of his lips quickly spread throughout his body, making his whole body hum with electricity. And their lips were barely even touching. He started moving his lips over hers, but that's when she pulled away. He instantly felt a coldness wash over him. He opened his eyes to see Liz move away from him. Even though her movements were strange, it was the look on her face that caught his attention.   
  
"Liz…?"   
  


"Max?" her eyes were big and fearful, "What are you doing?" She moved up against the headboard of the bed and pulled her knees up to her chin, trying to make herself as small as possible. Max started to move towards her, but stopped as she moved further away from him.   
  


"Liz?" His voice was timid and tentative. Trembling with confusion, he unconsciously moved his body towards her.   
  


"Don't touch me," she whispered.   
  


There was a strong warning in her voice. A voice he hadn't heard her use since the first time they "met", when Liz had told him to get away.   
  


"I'm not trying to..." his voice trailed off. He was not trying to do what? Not trying to hurt her? Not trying to scare her? What had just happened? Suddenly she had been kissing him, and just as quickly she was moving away from him with a look on her face that made him feel like...a rapist.   
  
"Please... leave," Liz whispered, her eyes trained on his face.   
  


"Let me help you," his hand uncontrollably moved towards her, and his heart ached as she saw him recoil away from his hand.   
  


"Don't. Touch. Me." 

Her voice was slow, and cold. It made Max suddenly think of the neighbor's dog, who would start growling in a cold relentless warning to back off. And he backed off. He could feel his heart shattering with every inch he put between him and her. The bed rose as he moved his weight away from it and, without turning his back on her, he moved out of the bedroom. He closed the door, and just stood there, his hand on the doorknob. From inside the bedroom he could hear her muffled crying, and the sound tore at his heart. Covering his head in his hands, he slowly slid down against the door.   
  
  
TBC...


	25. Chapter 25

Let's continue right away...

**Chapter 25**   
  
  
Max slowly opened the door and was met by Maria's fresh face.   
  


"Hey Max," Maria chirped, but grew silent as she saw his expression. She immediately knew that something was wrong and without a word she pulled him into her arms.   
  


"What happened?" she asked softly.   
  


"I-I don't know," Max whispered.   
  


Maria pulled out of the embrace and held him at arm's length, looking him sternly in the eye. "What happened?"   
  


Her heart ached as she gazed at his face. She had never seen him like that before. Completely devastated and forlorn.   
  


"I kissed Liz."   
  
Under other circumstances, Maria would have been squealing and bouncing with joy, but the fact that he seemed on the verge of tears stopped her from doing anything remotely close to that.   
  


"I take it that it didn't turn out so well."   
  


Max closed his eyes, sighed, and shook his head.   
  


"Where is she?"   
  


"She's in my bedroom."   
  


"Let me talk to her," Maria offered.   
  


"You really don't ha-"   
  


"Max," Maria put a hand against his cheek and forced him to look at her, "Let me help."   
  


He looked at her for a few seconds and then nodded. It couldn't make it any worse, could it?   
  
"Okay," he replied. Maria didn't know if she should cry, be angry with the woman who had put that expression on his face, or just remain calm. She pulled him into another hug.   
  


"Don't worry, Max," she said, "We'll fix this."   
  


She could feel him nod against her shoulder.   
  


Maria pulled out of his tight grip and offered him a weak smile of comfort. "Wait here."   
  


Like a little boy at a supermarket who had lost his mother, he nodded.   
  


Maria turned around and marched up to the bedroom door. She didn't bother knocking and just ripped the door open.   
  
Liz was sitting on the floor, packing her bag, her head jerking up at the sound of the door opening with fear on her face. When she saw that it was only Maria she relaxed a little.   
  


"Going somewhere?" Maria asked casually. She couldn't hide the slight cold tone to her voice.   
  


"I'm going back to New York," Liz answered quietly.   
  


Maria took a good look at the woman in front of her and felt anger bubbling in her veins. Max had never even hurt a fly and no one was going to hurt him like she just had.   
  


"Oh," Maria feigned surprise, "I thought you were going to stay here for a week."   
  


"Things change," Liz murmured, shifting a little.   
  


"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Maria asked with just a touch of venom in her voice.   
  


Liz looked up at her with an unreadable expression. "No."   
  


"So, why the sudden urge to go back to New York?"   
  


"I have work to do."   
  
"You couldn't have realized that _before_ you spent hours on a plane flying across the country?" Maria asked incredulously.   
  


"Why do I get the feeling that this is the third degree?"   
  


Maria clenched her hand into a tight fist to control the anger building up at Liz's nonchalant question.   
  


"Do you know just how much you've hurt Max?"   
  


Liz looked up at her, pain flashing over her face. Without answering, she stood up and moved over to the nightstand to gather some of her things.   
  


"I trusted you," Maria ground out through gritted teeth.   
  


Liz snorted, her back towards Maria. "Trusted me? You don't even know me!"   
  


"It's the kind of trust you acquire from hearing someone else talk about you. From hearing Max talk about you I actually thought I could trust you as much as he obviously does," Maria said, "But I guess that's difficult for you to understand. You've probably never trusted anyone."   
  


Liz's position prevented Maria from seeing her pained expression.   
  


"Max had only had nice things to say about you and I actually _wanted_ you to be together."   
  
Liz swirled around. "Together?" she asked incredulously. "We were just friends."   
  


"'Were'? Are you just going to abandon him now? Do you know how crushed he is at the moment? I've never seen him like that. And I'm not gonna let you, or anyone else, make him feel that way. You don't even know him, because if you did, you would never do this to him!"   
  


"I didn't do anything," Liz murmured.   
  


"Then tell me what happened."   
  


"I have no obligation to tell you anything."   
  


"What?" Maria snorted, "You don't have an 'obligation'? This is no business proposal, honey. We're talking about the most selfless person in the world. And I might not know you, but I'm going to be the one to pick up the pieces of Max's broken heart after you ditch him so I have the _right_ to know just what the hell happened!!"   
  


"This _kind_ person you're talking about tried to kiss me... _did_ kiss me," Liz said angrily.   
  
Maria shrugged her shoulders. "So? What's the big deal? He only _kissed_ you."   
  


"I didn't want to," Liz replied hotly.   
  


"Yeah, okay. But then you only had to tell him to back off, you didn't have to completely give him the cold shoulder."   
  


"You don't know what happened," Liz said quietly, moving to sit down by her bag again.   
  


"No. No, I don't. So why don't you enlighten me?"   
  


"I don't want to talk about it."   
  


Maria stepped closer, using all her strength to control her anger. "Listen missy! You might be able to just bash your eyelashes at Max and wrap him around your little finger, but _don't_ think that you can brush _me_ off that easily!"   
  


Maria was too angry to notice Liz's discomfort as she fearfully started to inch further away from the boiling Maria.   
  


"You might be able to stomp all over everyone else's hearts. But you leave Max alone!!"   
  


"Maria!"   
  
Maria turned her head towards the doorway to find Max looking at her sternly. "Stop it!"   
  


"She should know just what-"   
  


"No," Max interrupted adamantly. It had only taken him one look at Liz's face to know that Maria was only words away from causing a disaster. "Leave her alone."   
  


"What? You're _defending_ her?!"   
  


"_I_ violated her personal space," Max said, ignoring the fact that it had actually been _Liz_ who had kissed _him_, "so she has every right to feel this way."   
  


"No," Maria protested.   
  


"Maria," Max looked at her pleadingly, "please...just let it go. If Liz wants to leave then she can leave."   
  


Maria wanted to scream at Liz for the pained expression on Max's face during his last sentence. And she wasn't too happy with Max for defending Liz either.   
  


"Maria, just let me talk to her."   
  
Maria knew that she had lost the battle even before she looked into his eyes. It was such a rare occasion that Max actually told anyone to do anything that when he did there was no doubt about what she should do. Comply.   
  


Maria swung her head into Liz's direction. She knew that Max could take care of himself, but even if he seemed strong now she knew that he was breaking apart inside. And it was hurting Maria to the bones that he was breaking apart over someone he didn't even know yet.   
"But Max..."   
  


She met his eyes and grew quiet. "Okay," she mumbled and left Max and Liz alone.   
  
Liz wasn't looking at him, but was instead very focused on organizing her bag as if she hadn't even been in the same room as the steaming Maria just moments before.   
  


"So, you're going home again? Back to New York?"   
  


"Yes," she answered shortly, "I don't think it was the right choice to leave my father. He might suffer another heart failure."   
  


Max knew for a fact that her father was just as healthy as anyone without a heart problem, but he couldn't really tell her that.   
  


"Liz, I'm sorry I kissed you."   
  


She didn't answer.   
  


"It was wrong of me to take advantage of you like that." She had been immersed in a nightmare, probably still with her mind trapped in that dream state, but he had been overcome by his senses. He could've pulled back, but he hadn't. Being the person he was, he couldn't help but feel responsible for what had happened.   
  
Her hands were shaking as she reorganized the pile of clothes in her bag. Now sorting them by color instead of type. She was unconsciously buying herself more time, but still avoided his eyes. Max stepped closer but stopped as she shifted uncomfortably.   
  


"Liz, please talk to me. I- I..." I don't want to lose you. "I don't want you to leave."   
  


"Max, I can't stay," she mumbled, her vision blurring with tears.   
  
She was confused. Her inner state of emotions had become bundled up into confusing and indecipherable codes. She didn't have the ability to read them, never mind understand them. Simultaneously, she was at the mercy of those emotions. For each and every emotion inside of her there was a counterpart. She was afraid, but at the same time felt safe. She was nervous, but also calm. She felt that Max had broken an unwritten trust between them, but she also felt that she could trust him with her life. She wanted to go home to the safety of her apartment, go back to her ordinary life where she knew what to expect. But she also wanted to break free and experience life. She wanted to live.   
  


She could feel him looking at her intensely but she couldn't make herself look at him.   
  


"Tell me what's wrong."   
  
The statement was short and firm, but what made Liz look up at him was the determination in his voice. She looked into his eyes and she could feel her heart falling apart. His eyes were shimmering with unshed tears and he looked so lost. Nevertheless, his eyes now held a determination she hadn't seen there before. It intimidated her.   
  


"I can't," she whispered, holding his gaze.   
  


"Why?"   
  


"Please, Max. Just leave me alone."   
  


"Tell me why."   
  


Liz could feel frustration about her loss of control over the situation bubble up inside of her. "I don't want to tell you."   
  


"You can't just leave because of a kiss, Liz. We have to talk about it. You can't just run away."   
  


"I told you this would happen," she whispered. He had to strain his hearing to hear what she said.   
  


"What do you mean?"   
  


"I told you I would hurt you."   
  
"Yes, you did tell me that. But I chose to stay and I think I deserve to know what's going on."   
  


Liz felt the frustration burning and turning into anger. She slowly rose from her seated position and turned her head away from him. "I never asked for you to be in my life, Max! I don't owe you anything!" 

  
"Do you really believe that?" Max stared at her back. She couldn't even face him as she talked.   
  


"Liz..." He stepped closer to her, his voice softening. "Something is terribly wrong...and I can't let you go back to New York."   
  


Liz swirled around, her eyes boring into Max. "Let me? You can't 'let me'? I'm sorry, Max, but I haven't asked you to make decision for me."   
  


"You don't have to, I can see it in your eyes."   
  


Liz frowned, staring at him, and with a snort she said, "You don't see me-"   
  


"That's because you don't let me!" His voice increased in intensity as he stepped closer to her.   
  
"No, Max..." It was as if she had put on a mask for a play. Her features smoothed out and her face became indifferent, impersonal and apathetic. "I don't want to tell you anything."   
  


Max met her cold eyes, not letting himself be intimidated by the fact that the person before him was no longer Elizabeth Parker. "I don't believe you."   
  


She sighed. It was a tired sigh of resignation. "Just leave me alone, Max. I'm telling you now - once and for all. I don't need your help. I don't want your help. And I want you to stop digging into my past. That's _my_ past and no one else's. You have _no_ right to use me as some sort of science project - investigating me! I was doing just fine before you came along-"   
  


"You were about to be raped! Is that what you wanted?"   
  


"Of course not!! And I will always be grateful to you for saving me, but right now I need to be alone and I can't have you or your weird friends looking over my shoulder, studying every move I make. God! You make me feel like a freak!"   
  
Max cringed at her words. That was what he had always hated being called himself - even though people hadn't used that exact word. But he had heard enough of it when he was little and had been a bit of a prodigy. He would never wish that upon anyone else, to be looked upon as something abnormal. Not special, but a freak. He wondered if he had really made her feel like a freak. He didn't realize that it wasn't Liz talking to him right now. It was her defense system. Max was getting too close and he had to be pushed away to a safe distance.   
  
"I want to talk about this..." Max tried.   
  


Liz raked her fingers through her hair, pulling the loose strands up into a bun at the crown of her head and then releasing them to fall back against her shoulders. The act was repeated three times before she answered.   
  


"Sometimes talking isn't enough."   
  


Max sighed in frustration. God, she was so stubborn! One part of him just wanted to get out of there and let her have her wish, but another part of him - the one in charge at the moment - was telling him to keep pushing her for answers and not to let her get her wish. Somehow he had the strangest feeling that if he let Liz have her way now and go back to New York, something terrible would happen. He shivered as his mind was assailed by some of the images from his premonition. Images where he held Liz's still and lifeless form in his arms, blood trickling down her cheek and legs, her eyes hollow and empty.   
  
"Then tell me what to do."   
  


"Simple; leave me alone."   
  


"You're not getting rid of me that easily."   
  


She sighed. "Well, I'm returning to New York."   
  


"Then I'm coming with you," he countered stubbornly.   
  


"I don't want you with me," Liz snapped.   
  


"That's not your choice. You won't even know I'm there. I will not interfere with your life any longer, but you can't stop me from watching over you."   
  


"It's called stalking," Liz bit out.   
  


"No, it's called protection."   
  


"Don't you hear a word of what I'm trying to tell you? I don't need your protection, Max!"   
Liz didn't know what to think or feel. Her mind and heart were going into two different directions, ripping her apart. Her mind was coaxing her to return to the safe shelter behind the protective walls she had built up around her personality, while her heart was pleading with her to stay with Max. Pleading her to talk to him and confide in him. She felt like a rubber band being stretched close to the breaking point. She felt that at any moment she could break - separating her mind from her heart. And she feared that wouldn't be too good. That would be the end of it.   
  


Max look at her as the silence surrounded them.   
  
She averted her eyes and took a step back, fiddling with her watch.   
  


"Can't you see that I only want to help you?" Max asked quietly.   
  


"I don't want your help," she mumbled. Max started to slowly walk towards her. She raised her eyes and watched him come closer. That's when the whispers began.   
  


"Max?"   
  


Max stopped at the sound of her small voice. There was something vastly different about it compared to the voice she had used a couple of minutes before. He could feel a thread pulling around his heart, cutting into the cardiac walls, as he saw her face crumble in fear.   
  


"Liz?"   
  


She closed her eyes, trying to block out the voices filling the room. She could feel herself get cold and her breath kept catching in her throat. It sounded as if she was choking, gasping for air.   
  
Max hastily stepped up to her, and took a firm grip around her upper arms. "Liz, what's wrong?"   
  


She opened her eyes, took a hold of Max's wrist, and tried to pry his hands from her.   
  


"Liz...?" He held on stronger, as she started wiggle in his arms. She whimpered, tears starting to cascade down her cheeks. She doubled over when a fierce, hot pain stabbed through her lower abdomen, and nearly knocked Max down.   
  


"Liz, what's wrong?" He was frightened now. What was going on?   
  


"Just kill me," she whispered.   
  


"What?" Not sure he had heard her correctly.   
  


"Just do it." Her voice was strained and she was holding her arms around her stomach, still gasping for air.   
  


Max could feel his heart slam against his ribs as he tried to get her to straighten up again. "I'm not gonna kill you."   
  
"Get it over with." It was as if he wasn't even there. As if it wasn't really _him_ she was talking to, but some invisible ghost.   
  


"You've taken everything from me. I don't wanna live."   
  


"What are you talking about, Liz?!"   
  


He could feel her legs giving out under her as she sagged against him.   
  


"No… Liz?!"   
  


"Kill me." Her voice was hollow and indifferent. No emotions attached.   
  


"What's going on?"   
  


The outside voice somehow changed everything. Liz stilled in his arms and she stopped gasping for air. Instead she was overtaken by powerful sobs.   
  


"Max? What's happening? What's wrong?"   
  


Max didn't even turn around to look at Maria. "Liz?"   
  
"They took my baby. They killed my baby."   
  


He felt his throat tightening, and suddenly it was he who was having difficulties breathing. "Who did, Liz?"   
  


"I don't know. I don't know."   
  


Was that the reason to everything? Her baby had been taken from her, and she had repressed it so much that it had become dangerous. Now it was spilling over, everything at once, and it was too much for her. But as Max lifted Liz up and placed her on the edge of the bed, kneeling between her knees and pushing aside her damp hair to look into her shimmering eyes, he deeply doubted that that was the real reason.   
  


"Is she okay?" He could hear Maria walk up behind him. He stroked a couple of loose strands of Liz's hair away, which had become plastered to her face by her tears.   
  
"I don't know." His heart cried as he let the words float over his lips. He felt more helpless than ever before and it was killing him.   
  


She looked up into his eyes and Max gasped at the intensity of the misery he saw within her.   
  


"Liz?" He could feel tears stinging his own eyes. "Please talk to me."   
  


"Max?"   
  


"Yes, it's me," he said softly.   
  


"Please promise me something," Liz whispered.   
  


Max eyes searched her face. "Anything."   
  


"Promise me that you will never leave me," Liz said.   
  


"I won't," he said, his hand pushing away another one of the damp strands of hair from her forehead.   
  


"No, Max." Liz took a hold of his hand and moved it away from her face, cradling it between both of hers. "Promise me, Max."   
  
He tore his eyes away from her fearful ones for the fraction of a second it took to look at their entwined hands.   
  


"Please, promise me." Her voice was more desperate now and he looked up to meet her eyes again.   
  


"I promise with all my heart," he said softly, but firmly.   
  


That was it for Liz. The last barriers she had fought so hard to hold up broke, and she started sobbing uncontrollably, leaning forward to lean her forehead against his chest. He put his arms around her and pulled her towards him. She sank into him, sliding off the bed and collapsing in his arms on the floor.   
  
Maria looked at the couple, crestfallen. What the hell had just happened?

TBC...

A/N: Okay, I know that you are probably more confused now than ever, but everything will be explained – eventually... I will try not to leave you high and dry for too long. :-D Thank you for reading!! *Hugs*


	26. Chapter 26

Hey everyone! I'm back! :D You might notice a difference in the layout of the text. I don't split the dialogue up with spaces in between when I write and I takes me pretty long to change that before I post it here. So, I figured, that if I skipped that procedure I would find more time to update more often instead. Is that okay with you? ;)

**Mystivysqiyi** and **Charisma4** – Girls, _BIG _hugs to you! Thank you for the feedback!! Charisma, I'm dealing with _a lot_ of repressed memories in this fic. I've studied a little bit too much psychology, I guess lol.

**Chapter 26**   
  
  
"Where are we going?"   
"I want you to show you something," Max answered with a large grin on his face.   
Liz looked up at the large sign with neon blinking letters, spelling _The CrashDown_. She stumbled after him, her hand tightly gripping his, and came to a halt when she saw the people on the other side of the window. Max stopped as he noticed she wasn't moving.   
"Hey, you okay?" he asked, looking back at her.   
"Do we really have to do this?"   
"I want to show you," Max said with a wobbly smile.   
"Maria's in there," Liz whispered.   
Max turned around to face her fully, and in a soft reassuring voice said, "Then we'll just have to talk to her."   
  
"She doesn't like me."   
Insecurity was radiating off of her like a beacon in the dark.   
"No," Max shook his head, "she doesn't _know_ you. It doesn't help to run away."   
Max had begun to understand how Liz was dealing with obstacles and adversities. By avoiding facing them, choosing instead to run away and hide.   
"I just don't feel comfortable doing this," Liz mumbled, her eyes pleading with him not to force her to go into that restaurant.   
"Liz, Maria's my best friend. She has one of the biggest hearts of all the people I know. If there's someone who would forgive you, it's her. She's always there, and that was what happened yesterday. She couldn't bear seeing her best friend hurt, so she attacked you. That might not be right, but her intentions were good. Believe me, Liz. You have nothing to be afraid of when it comes to Maria. Once you earn her trust, she's behind you one hundred percent...well, until you break that trust."   
  
Liz smiled weakly. "It must be great to have a friend like that."   
"It is," Max said softly, "So, are you ready?"   
She knew she had to do this. She had to start turning her life around. She had to meet new people and let them into her life. She took a deep breath and nodded. Max gave her a proud smile and took her hand again.   
"Then let's go." He pushed the swinging doors open and stepped inside the busy restaurant. Liz stopped, looking around her in amazement. Little green men with big black eyes, and small smiling mouths were painted on the walls. The waitresses wore turquoise Star Trek uniforms, and antennae bounced on their heads. Along the walls were booths, which also carried a turquoise décor. There were alien straws, alien cups, cakes formed into alien heads, alien stickers, alien postcards, the ceiling lamps were formed into flying saucers...   
  
"Oh my God," Liz breathed in amazement. She had never seen anything like it before. It wasn't just that the alien themes were very elaborate, but rather the small town feeling that was penetrating everything in the restaurant. People were talking and laughing around her, and the atmosphere was so friendly and relaxed. So normal. So safe.   
"It's pretty cool, isn't it?" Max whispered in his ear. Liz felt tingles spread in the skin of her neck, down through her body, and to her toes as she felt his warm breathe against her ear.   
"Uh huh," Liz nodded.   
"Max! Over here."   
She turned her head and looked in the direction of the voice. Maria, whom she had already partly forgotten about, was seated in one of the booths with Isabel and Michael. She felt Max tug on her hand, and she could feel his eyes caressing her face. Without meeting his eyes, she knew that he was asking her if she was ready to face Maria. She gave him her answer by walking towards the booth.   
  
"Liz, hey!" Isabel said, her whole face brightening. "I heard a rumor that you had joined the unsophisticated community of Roswell."   
Liz smiled, genuinely happy to see Isabel again. "Yeah, I needed a change of atmosphere."   
"_That_ I have no problem understanding," Isabel smiled, "But why in the name of God did you pick Roswell?"   
"It was where Max was going," Liz said, and didn't realize what she had said until she saw Isabel's eyes widen in surprise, and Maria and Michael staring at her. She could feel her cheeks going red under their gazes. "I-I mean-"   
"We understand you perfectly," Maria said warmly, "I would follow Max too. Didn't you do that, Isabel?"   
"What?" Isabel asked, looking between Liz and Max.   
"Go after Max?"   
"God Maria, he's my brother!"   
  
"No kidding," Maria said sarcastically, "I mean - to New York. Wow, am I the only one with a brain here?"   
"So, guys," Max said, feeling Liz's discomfort and quickly wanting to change the subject. "What are you up to today?"   
"Weeeell," Maria said, "I was thinking I would pay a visit to the theater - after I've gotten my manicure of the day. Then I will probably go shopping in our exclusive mall, and then...hmm... dinner at an expensive restaurant... Or I'm just gonna hang out here."   
Max chuckled, pulling Liz down beside him on the booth. "I can see that your love for Roswell hasn't dwindled."   
"Liz…you are so lucky to live in New York," Maria said, turning to Liz, "That's where everything happens. Nothing happens here!"   
  
Michael shrugged his shoulders. "Then leave."   
Maria glared at him, and Liz giggled. Max was relieved to find Liz relax beside him.   
"You wanna take Liz sightseeing?" Isabel asked.   
"That shouldn't take long," Maria said in a joking tone.   
"I would love to see Roswell," Liz said.   
"Really?" Maria scrunched her nose. "Well, if that's what you want. Just remember I warned you about the high level of boredom that sightseeing might be connected with."   
"I think I can handle it," Liz said, "It would be nice with a little boredom for once, since I have such an _interesting_ life in New York - which can get a little hectic."   
"Haha," Maria said, feigning hurt. "Don't look down on the small people."   
Liz smiled, thinking that dealing with problems didn't seem so difficult after all. 

----------------------------

  
  
She was startled out of sleep by the doorknob turning. She blinked, trying to get her eyes accustomed to the dark. The door slowly opened, creaking with the movement. She swallowed and tried to keep her eyes open. She was just so tired. Through her foggy vision she saw the contours of a person standing in the doorway. She put down her hands in the mattress and pushed herself up in a sitting position, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. The person stepped further into the room, letting the moonlight seize their contours and expose the disfiguring shadows. She gasped and her hand flew up to her mouth.   
  
"Mom?"   
Her eyes widened in horrified terror as her 'mother' stepped farther into the room. The right side of the figure's head was flatter than the left one, darker. As it took another step the realization hit her like a slap in her face. It was blood. The right side of her face was covered in blood, smeared into her auburn hair. Liz slowly pulled herself up against the headboard away from the person, her heart dying with fear.   
"No… you're not mom." It was a desperate effort to convince herself that the person with the cold, indifferent, staring, dead eyes wasn't the one who had given her lollipops when she was little.   
  
"No," she whispered brokenly as the person moved closer to the bed, dragging her legs along the floor, making a dull shuffling sound. Against her will, Liz's eyes fell on the figure's right arm, which hung unnaturally against their body and beat limply against their side.   
"Please don't," Liz pleaded, as the person got closer and closer to the bed. It raised a hand towards her, the long fingers thin and soiled. Liz started shaking her head, unintelligible words and sounds spilling over her lips.   
  
  
  
She bolted upwards with a sharp intake of air, her eyes frantically scanning her surroundings. But she was alone. The room was empty and quiet with the moon safely shining down. Her whole body was trembling, the tears still wet on her cheeks. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest. She looked around the room again, somehow trying to assure herself that it had only been a dream. She took some deep breaths and then laid down. She closed her eyes and tried to get back to sleep. A clock was ticking in the adjoining room, the air condition was lightly buzzing in the kitchen, the refrigerator clicked on, a cat meowed somewhere outside the window, a leaf was brushing against her window.   
  
She sat up and threw her legs over the edge of the bed. She couldn't go back to sleep. Her heart was slamming in her chest as if it were trying to break free and every time she closed her eyes she saw her mother, bloody and dead, walking towards her. She shivered and gasped at the sensation of the cold floor against her feet. She quietly made her way across the floor, and slowly pressed down on the doorknob. Almost expecting to see someone standing on the other side, waiting for her, she felt dizzy as she slowly opened the door. But there was no one there. The living room was as quiet as her room. She hastily glanced over at the sofa, where Max was sleeping. He was lying on his stomach, his covers almost completely on the floor.   
  
She just stood there, looking at him for almost four minutes. Trying to convince herself that she was not alone, that Max wouldn't let anything happen to her. But he couldn't protect her from herself. He couldn't protect her from her own mind.   
  
She closed her eyes, shaking her head as if mentally trying to shake the image of the night's visitor out of her memory, and turned towards the kitchen. She quietly opened one of the cabinets and retrieved a glass.   
"Liz?"   
The glass slipped out of Liz's hand and plummeted through the air, reaching the hard floor with a shatter, disintegrating into millions of pieces over the floor.   
"Oh god, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Liz mumbled, getting down on her knees and starting to gather the sharp pieces together, not noticing as they cut into her soft flesh.   
"I-I didn't mean to scare you," Max stuttered, still groggy from sleep. He walked up to her, careful not to put his feet over any pieces of glass and turned on the fluorescent lamp over the kitchen sink. "Liz, get up, you shouldn't do that with your hands."   
  
"I'm sorry, I'm so clumsy, I didn't-"   
Max put his hands around her wrists and pulled her up. Her bloody hands gleamed in the strong light. "God Liz, you're bleeding," Max mumbled. He looked into her eyes and noticed that she was crying, her whole body shaking with sobs.   
"Shhh, Liz. It's okay," he said, a little puzzled. "It's only a glass. I have lots of them, you know."   
She shook her head. "I didn't mean to-"   
"We have to take care of your hands," Max interrupted. "Come here. Watch out for the shards, they could be anywhere."   
He carefully led her out of the kitchen and over to the armchair, gently forcing her to sit down. That's when he noticed that her knees were bleeding too, and there were some pieces of glass embedded in her skin.   
  
"God Liz," he half mumbled, half cried. "You've hurt yourself."   
"I'm sorr-"   
He met her eyes in the humble lightning. "Stop apologizing. You hear me? I startled you, okay? And it's just a glass. It can be replaced. You can't."   
She sobbed, nodding. Max rose, and said, "Let me get some alcohol to clean the cuts with."   
"Max?"   
He stopped and turned towards her. "Yes?"   
"I wanna talk now."   
He took one step closer to her, looking at her with slight confusion written over his face.   
"I wanna talk about my mother."   
  
  
TBC...


	27. Chapter 27

Some of your questions might be answered in this chapter... :D

**Chapter 27**   
  


  
Liz accepted the glass of water Max handed her. "Thank you."   
"You cold?"   
She shook her head. "No…"   
"Okay." Max sat down beside her on the couch, waiting for her to start talking. She snuffled, and wiped the lingering tears of her cheeks.   
"Mmm... I don't remember everything," Liz started.   
Max nodded in silent understanding and she took a deep breath. She had never talked to anyone about this before. Not even her father.   
"I remember my mom coming home from work while I was playing the piano. It was no different from any other day. I was usually playing the piano when they came home from work. My dad was already at home. I think he had the day off. He was cooking. He was never any good at that," Liz smiled sadly, "and after everything happened it took a while before he started cook again...to cook because he wanted to, and not because he had to."   
  
Liz closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her heart was hammering against her ribs. She knew that she needed to get this out but she was so afraid. Afraid to be rejected and to return to the deadly darkness she had momentarily visited after the accident.   
"After dinner mom went outside. She was going somewhere..." Liz shook her head in frustration, her hand against her forehead. "I just can't remember where she was going."   
She felt Max hand close over hers and tried to gather strength from the knowledge that he was there.   
"I just wanted to tell...wanted to tell her that…" she started sobbing, preventing her voice from breaking through. "I'm sor...sorry."   
She heard Max shifting in his seat, moving closer to her. She heard him mumble words of reassurance, and his hand brushed her tears away.   
"And that I loved her. I...I… I wanted her to know that I loved her…and then I killed her." She didn't realize that she was crying or that Max arms had moved to cradle her to his chest. All she was aware of were the whispers in her head. Whispers of her betrayal. Of her murder.   
"How did you kill her?" Max whispered. She could hear the anguish and sorrow in his voice and realized that he was crying too. She clutched him closer to her, burying her face in the crook of his neck.   
  
"There was a bus..." Her voice was muffled in his shirt, but he heard her. He heard her every word with a piercing intensity. "I...I called for her, and she stopped...in the middle...in the middle of the...the...street."   
"Oh my God," Max whispered, mostly to himself, when he realized what had happened.   
"I told her that I lo…loved her, and she smiled...and she..." her voice cracked and she had to struggle to get the next part out. She was going to tell him everything. It was too late to stop. "She smiled…and I think she was about...to tell me that she...she...loved me...too. But then the bus... Oh my God!" She started sobbing uncontrollably against Max's shoulder and he cradled her close, trying to offer her as much comfort as he could. "I killed her. I killed her."   
"No, Liz. It was an accident. It was an accident."   
"If I hadn't called her..."   
"Then we don't know what would happen...Liz, you can't bury yourself in what ifs. You _did not_ kill your mother."   
"Yes I..."   
  
Max pulled her out of his arms and looked into her red, swollen eyes. "It wasn't your fault."   
She wanted to believe him, she really did. But the guilt had been a part of her for nineteen years and it wouldn't disappear that easily.   
"Liz, you didn't want your mother to die."   
Her face crumbled and she shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. "You just wanted her to know that you loved her. Liz, you didn't do anything wrong."   
"Then why is she dead?"   
"I wish I could answer that, but I can't. I don't know."   
She knew that he couldn't give her that answer more than she could. But she needed an answer, and the answer that she had turned to over the years was that it was her fault. That she was to blame. Nothing just happened. And her mother's death was her fault. A mental image of the nightly visit of her dead mother appeared in her mind, and she shivered.   
"Could you...could you stay with me tonight?"   
  
"You mean…?"   
"I don't want to be alone."   
"Sure," Max said softly and took her hand. She trailed after him, her free hand wiping the tears from her face. As soon as they stepped over the threshold to the bedroom she started tremble. Max turned and looked at her.   
"Liz?"   
She stepped closer to him, refusing to let go of his hand.   
"It's okay," she said and Max got the feeling that she was trying to convince herself more than him. He started to release her hand but she was still gripping it tightly He tried to capture her eyes but they were focused intently on the bed. Max nodded to himself.   
"You should get some sleep."   
She sobbed and nodded. Max motioned for her to lie down, and without letting go of her hand he crawled up behind her.   
"Could you hold me?" He felt tears sting his eyes at the desolation he heard in her voice. He put his arms around her and spooned his body against hers. He felt her placing her hands over his and felt trembles go through her body from tearing sobs. 

--------------------------------------

  
  
Liz moved her hand over the warm surface, feeling it moving slightly under her palm. She yawned and snuggled closer to the warm body. She felt a hand move into her hair and a smile spread over her face.   
"Good morning." The soft voice drifted trough the mists of sleep and she slowly opened her eyes. She found herself lying with her head on Max's chest. She would've thought that she would freak out if she found herself in bed with someone, but she didn't feel that way. Not at all. She couldn't remember ever feeling so good when she woke up. And it was not only because she was with Max. It was also because she had told him, told someone about something that had been buried deep inside of her for the longest time. Weighing her down. Now some part of that weight had been removed. Like a bad cell growth had been removed, leaving room for positive growth. She looked up and found him looking at her.   
"Hey," she answered.   
"How are you feeling?"   
"Better," she said softly.   
"You wanna have some breakfast?"   
Liz smiled softly. "That sounds great."   
  
Max smiled softly and started to move from underneath her to get out of bed when Liz stopped his movements by wrapping her fingers around his wrist.   
"Wait...could we..."   
"What?" Max asked as her voice trailed off.   
"Could we just stay here for a while?"   
Max looked into those big irresistible chocolate eyes and nodded. He laid back down again and Liz snuggled up to him.   
  
Max tentatively moved his hand into her soft hair, letting it drift through his fingers as he repeatedly threaded his hand through the dark mass. He could not deny the churning feeling in his stomach, or the tingling in his skin as he felt her press up against him. He couldn't deny that he was feeling things. That he had feelings for her. He still hadn't forgotten the brief kiss they had shared. The _very_ brief kiss. He would probably never forget it. If he died in the next second, that would probably be the last thing he thought about. He had to be honest with himself. There was nothing he wanted more than to feel her soft lips on his again. He had never kissed a girl before but if he had known that it felt so good he would have done it earlier. But somehow he doubted that it would have felt as great if it hadn't been with Liz.   
  
The problem was that he didn't want to push her away. She had not reacted in the best possible way when they had kissed the first time. She didn't even seem to like it. She was terrified. But something about it was off. He wanted to believe that it was her demons that had freaked her out, but that little nagging voice inside his head was only working to fuel his insecurities, and it was doing a good job...   
  
"Max?"   
Her voice broke him out of his reverie and he looked down at her as she propped her chin up on her hand to look at him.   
"Yes?"   
"How long have you known Maria...and the others?"   
"My whole life...." Max began, but then stopped himself. "No, that's not true."   
Liz raised her eyebrows in confusion. "No?"   
"Um…since I was six."   
"Oh, okay," Liz said, briefly confused about his guilty expression. She shifted a little, her bare feet coming into contact with Max. They both mentally gasped at the contact, but they were both very efficient at shielding their reactions.   
Liz smiled timidly and said, "It seems like there is something else going on with that..."   
Max crooked his head to the side. "Really? And Miss Never-reveal-too-much-information-about-herself thinks I should talk more about that?"   
  
Liz rolled her eyes. "Well, I _did_ give you some information yesterday, didn't I?"   
"Yes, you did," Max said, growing serious, "And I'm very proud of you for that."   
Liz ducked her head, a faint blush grazing her features. Max couldn't help but smile.   
"Don't try to change the subject," she said, meeting his eyes.   
"I'm not," Max said innocently.   
"Ahh... well, it's probably nothing then. It just feels like you wanted to tell me more about your childhood."   
Max diverted his eyes, the smile disappearing from his lips. Liz could feel his body tense against hers.   
"You wanna talk about it?" Liz asked.   
"There's nothing to talk about," Max said evasively. Liz scanned his face and put her head back down against his chest.   
"Then we don't need to talk about it," she answered.   
  
Max stared up at the ceiling. Why couldn't he tell her that? It wasn't dangerous to tell her that he couldn't remember anything before the age of six, right? That Isabel couldn't remember anything from then either. That they were found in the middle of the desert in the dead of night and completely naked. That they couldn't talk, couldn't use the bathroom, couldn't feel or smell. He could tell her all of that without revealing that he was Not Of This Earth, but he didn't want her to see him as some kind of freak. What would she think of him if he told her all that? Maria hadn't thought it was such a big deal, but she had always lived in Roswell. Everyone in Roswell knew about how the Evans had found Max and Isabel wandering in the desert.   
"What are you thinking about?"   
  
Once again her voice brought him out of his stumbling thoughts.   
"Nothing," he answered.   
"Mhm..." Her voice was disbelieving. "Tell me something about yourself, Max."   
Max looked down at the crown of her head. She was looking at the wall, unconsciously moving her fingers over his T-shirt. She clearly had no idea what her innocent movements were doing to him.   
"What do you want to know?"   
"Anything. I hardly know anything about you," Liz said, "Let me see. What do I know about Max Evans? Well, you have a sister named Isabel. You were born and raised in Roswell, New Mexico. You work at a UFO center. You've been to Florida once. Your best friends are Maria and Michael. Hmm...Well, that was about it."   
  
"Things I know about Liz Parker," Max countered teasingly, "Lives in New York. Has never been anywhere else. Works as an architect. Hates the rain. Best friend...hmm...Alex, right?"   
"Yes... maybe," Liz said, moving to look up at him again.   
"I'd say I don't know so much about you either," Max said.   
"How about we change that," Liz suggested.   
"I'd love that," Max said honestly.   
"Then it's decided then," Liz said, "Today is the official 'Get-to-know-each-other' day."   
"Aha, _that_ day," Max said smugly.   
Liz pushed herself up in sitting position. "Yes." Max looked up at her. Her long hair billowed around her face as she hovered over him. He could get used to that view.   
"So, come on," Liz ordered.   
"What?" Max asked, distracted by how her tongue darted out between her lips and wetted them.   
Liz rolled her eyes and took a hold of his hand, pulling him up. "I _think_ that you just promised me breakfast a couple of minutes ago."   
"I can't deny that," Max said, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

TBC...


	28. Chapter 28

Hey guys! 

Gosh, thank you so much for the feedback!!

**Spikes-gal787** – Hi! Welcome to this fic!! :D

Let's get right on it, shall we?

**Chapter 28**   
  


  
Liz took Max's hand and gave a short squeal of excitement. Max could do nothing but stumble after her helplessly. "What?" he laughed.   
"Please, please. Can we...?" Max's eyes left Liz's excited face and followed her pointing index finger to the swing set located at the far end of the big park where they were walking. His eyebrows rose in surprise.   
"Oh, please," Liz begged, pouting her lips.   
"I really think we should get back to the CrashDown now," Max teased.   
Liz bashed her eyelashes. "Please? Pretty, pretty, please with cherries on top?"   
Max gave up. Why did he even try? If he couldn't resist her when she was _not_ pouting those red lips, and he sure as hell could not resist her now.   
"Fine," he said, trying to seem frustrated.   
"Yay," Liz said and jumped up and down with excitement.   
"God, you're acting like you've never seen swings before," Max said as he was dragged over to the swing set.   
  
"I think they are fun, okay? Just humor me, Max!"   
Liz sat down on one of the swings and set the small rectangular wooden seat in motion by pushing away with her feet. Max sat down on the seat beside her and found it much more entertaining to just watch Liz gliding through the air, her long hair blowing around her face than to join her in swinging. He could just watch her forever. Her face was rosy with exhilaration and she looked happy. Happier than he had ever seen her. She wore her hair down today. He knew that it meant something. For the short time he had known her, she had always kept her hair up. He had to admit that he liked it better when it was hanging free, framing her face.   
"So, tell me something," Liz said while at the peak of the swing's arc.   
Max followed her descent with his eyes, and watched her come back and up again.   
  
"Well, my favorite color is blue."   
"No, Max! That's something kids would tell each other in third grade!"   
"Are you making fun of me?" Max said, feigning hurt.   
"Well, you deserve it," Liz giggled.   
Max chuckled. "I _deserve_ to be made fun of?"   
Liz nodded her head firmly as she glided past him. "Yes."   
"Okay, let's play a game," Max suggested.   
"What?"   
"If I tell you something, you have to tell me something in return-"   
"Well, that won't be a problem," Liz interrupted.   
"-within the same area," Max continued.   
  
Liz stopped swinging her legs and Max could tell by her stance that for some reason that affected her.   
"What do you mean?" she asked.   
"Simple," Max said, keeping his tone light, "If I tell you something about my family, you have to tell me something about yours."   
"Hmm…I'm not really sure I like this," Liz said.   
"Why not?"   
"Because it's blackmail."   
"Oh, come on! It's not," Max said with a smile.   
"I don't know," Liz said, no longer pushing herself higher on her swing.   
"Liz...we were to get to know each other. I won't pressure you for information. I just thought it would be fun."   
  
Liz turned her head and looked at Max, seeing the honesty and hope shining in his eyes.   
"Okay," she sighed. "But you start."   
"Right," Max said, starting to push his feet into the ground to get his swing moving at the same pace as Liz's. "When I was little I had a pet but everyone made fun of me for it because they didn't consider it to be a pet."   
"What was it?" Liz asked.   
"A worm," Max answered.   
"Really?" Liz giggled, scrunching her nose.   
"Oh no, don't you start too! I actually saved it from being eaten by a pigeon."   
Liz couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, that's noble," she got out between fits of laughter.   
"I named it Mark."   
  
That was too much for Liz. She started to laugh so violently that her swing started to shake.   
"You'd better be careful or you'll fall off," Max said, feeling warmth spreading through his heart as her laughter filled the air.   
"You named him Mark?"   
"Yes," Max sighed, "He was my best friend."   
That sent Liz into another fit of laughter. "I'm sorry, Max." She dried her tears with one of her hands, her arm hooked around the rope holding up the swing so that she wouldn't fall of. "That's just so pathetic."   
"It is not!"   
"Yes...it is," Liz laughed. "You have very weird relationships with animals."   
Max sighed but had to work to suppress a smile. "Don't bring the frog into this."   
"Sorry," Liz giggled. "I can't help it..."   
"Your turn."   
"Okay," Liz took deep breaths to calm herself down. "Um...I had a pet too. A puppy."   
"Really? What did you call him?"   
  
"Pluto."   
"Like in Disney?"   
"Yeah. I loved Pluto and I was always nagging my parents to get me a dog, so for my fifth birthday they did. It's funny though..."   
"What?" Max asked with a smile.   
"I can't remember what happened to him," Liz said, searching her mind.   
Max smile slipped off his face. "You can't?"   
Liz cleared her throat and started to swing again, trying to distance herself from the memory.   
"Let's talk about something else," Liz partly suggested, partly pleaded.   
"Okay," Max said. "Hmm... let's see. I have this dietary quirk. I have to put Tabasco on everything I eat..."   
"Really? Why?"   
  
Max shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Food just tastes bland without it."   
"Maybe I should try it," Liz said.   
"Believe me, you won't think it tastes good."   
"Well, a lot of people use Tabasco," Liz said casually.   
"Yeah, but I use it on chocolate bars, ice-cream, in milkshakes-"   
"Okay, stop," Liz said, scrunching her nose. "That sounds really disgusting!"   
"How about you?"   
"Hmmm… Well, I don't know," Liz said, thinking hard, "I guess I have horrible sweet tooth."   
"Can't beat me there. So do I," Max said.   
"I don't believe you," Liz said.   
  
"I put sugar in my sodas," Max said.   
Liz opened her mouth in surprise. "I do that too!!"   
"You're kidding me!"   
Liz shook her head, grinning. "No."   
"You're not kidding," Max said, "Wow, I thought only Isabel, Michael and I did that."   
"What's that? A food fetish limited to your gang? How about Maria? Why hasn't she started with it too?"   
Max looked down at his feet, realizing that he had said too much.   
"I don't know," he answered and then tried to smooth it over with a joke, "I guess it wasn't her thing. She's always had a mind of her own."   
An image of Maria entered Liz's mind and she nodded. "I can understand that."   
"Okay, so..." Max got a brooding expression on his face, "What is your best childhood memory?" He knew that he was digging in unknown territory. The subject was a touchy one for Liz. She looked at something far away, a distant look on her face. Then she pushed away with her feet, setting the swing in motion again.   
  
"Umm... I think it's the day I got my puppy," Liz answered evasively.   
"Okay," Max said, noticing her sudden mental distance but deciding not to push it any further. "Mine is definitely Disneyland."   
"You went to Disneyland?" Liz asked with a look of childlike excitement on her face.   
Max grinned at her expression. "Yeah, it was great."   
"I would love to go to Disneyland," Liz said dreamily while bending backward to give her swing more power. Max watched as her hair was caught in the wind and moved out from her body only to fall on her back again as she straightened up at the peak of the arc. The movements her slender body created were causing his body to react in the most heated of ways.   
"You've never been there?"   
"I thought you knew that about me," Liz teased while looking at him, the swing creaking slightly as she whizzed past him, "Liz Parker. Lives in New York. Has never been anywhere else. Works as an architect. Hates the rain."   
  
Max eyed her when she repeated what he had told her that morning word for word.   
"You have a really good memory, don't you?" Max asked slowly.   
Liz shrugged casually. "I guess." She started to slow her swing until it came to a halt and she turned towards Max, their faces only inches from each other. Max looked into her eyes, finding a new source of life and happiness shining in her eyes. Then, suddenly, the atmosphere changed. The molecules making up the air between their faces heated up and time slowed down.   
"So, what do we do next?" she asked, her shallow breaths caressing his face. She was so close. It would be so easy to just move closer and taste those luscious, red lips...   
"Umm..." was all Max could get out, too distracted to let a single word form itself in his mind. Liz could feel herself drift closer to him, the teasing smile slowly slipping from her face.   
  
"Maybe we should get something to eat," she mumbled, her eyes drifting to his lips as the distance between them decreased.   
"That's probably a good idea," Max said slowly, his eyes focused on her moist red lips. They looked so soft...so tasty... He closed his eyes in anticipation of feeling her lips on his...   
"Max!! Liz!!"   
They jerked apart as if they had been burned and looked towards the source of interruption, carefully avoiding each other's eyes. At the other end of the park they could see Michael walking towards them with a dog. Liz glanced at Max as he groaned.   
"Oh no, not that dog!"

TBC…


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**   
  


  
Liz stumbled backwards as the dog jumped up on her.   
"Michael, get that dog off of her!" Max demanded.   
"Torpid! Stop it!!"   
Max and Michael shared a surprised look when Liz's laughter tinkled through the air. The dog was licking her face, his front paws resting on her chest, his tail wagging back and forth in rapid movements.   
"Who is this cutie?" Liz got out between dog licks and laughter.   
"Eh... my dog…" Michael answered, feeling slightly confused. No one had reacted like that around Torpid before, maybe because Torpid had never acted so happy around anyone before. Michael raised his voice and sharply demanded, "Torpid, get down! Sit!"   
After some sad hesitation the Labrador stopped assaulting Liz and compliantly sat down, his tongue hanging out from one side of his mouth as he urgently looked at his master for further instructions.   
"What race is he? He looks like a Labrador, but…"   
"He's a mongrel. A mix between Labrador and German Shepherd, I think," Michael answered, scratching behind his ear. "So, what were you guys up to?"   
Guiltily, Liz and Max glanced at each other and quickly answered in unison, "Nothing."   
Michael furrowed his brow in suspicion as he eyed the red color of Max's ears. "Nothing, huh?"   
  
"No, eh... we were just talking," Max said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Should he let his hands remain in his pockets, or should he keep them out? When he couldn't find anywhere to put his hands other than his pockets, he tucked them back in again. Michael narrowed his eyes at his antics. That man was sooo gone.   
"How old is he?" Liz asked, hunched in front of the dog, scratching him behind his ear.   
Michael shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."   
Liz turned to look at him with a smile. "You don't know? You don't keep track of how old your own dog is?"   
"Well, stuff like that never was one of Michael's strong suits," Max informed her.   
"Oh," Liz said in understanding.   
"Two," Michael huffed.   
"Sorry?" Liz asked.   
"I guess he's two," Michael answered.   
"Well, he's just adorable," Liz turned her attention to the dog, "Aren't you, puppy? Aren't you just adorable? Such a little cutie."   
Michael and Max both rolled their eyes over Liz's puppy talk.   
  
"Michael found him out on the street when he was a puppy," Max explained.   
Liz looked at Michael with interest in her eyes.   
"I couldn't just leave him there! He was all wet and shivering."   
Liz smiled warmly. In the short time she had known Michael, this was one side of him that she hadn't seen before. But she had a feeling that his nonchalant exterior was just a facade. She could understand that. She lived her life the same way. Hiding behind a false exterior.   
"That's a beautiful thing to do," Liz said.   
Michael looked down, a little surprised, and then he straightened up. "That's what I said!"   
Max sighed in trepidation. "Oh no, I can hear your head swelling, Michael!"   
"Don't sweat it, okay Max," Michael warned. "So, what are you guys up to today?"   
"Umm..." Max mumbled.   
"We're getting to know each other," Liz answered merrily.   
Michael raised one of his eyebrows. "Really?" He looked pointedly at Max. "Getting to _know_ each other, huh?"   
Max shot him a warning glare that Michael answered with a smug glance.   
Her complete attention on the dog, Liz answered, "Yeah."   
  
"Are you doing that sightseeing tour? Maria's gonna be so pissed if she finds out you did that without her." Max sighed and looked at Michael. Michael was grinning at him, obviously happy about the idea that Maria would be angry with someone else for a change.   
"We're not really sightseeing," Max denied, "We've only been to the park so far. We were going to find Maria after lunch."   
"Are you eating at the CrashDown?" Michael asked.   
Max shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so. What do you think, Liz?"   
"Fine by me," Liz said, but turned her head to look at him as he chuckled. "What?"   
"You really like dogs, don't you?" he asked.   
"I _love_ animals," Liz answered.   
"They sure love you too," Michael muttered.   
Max snorted. "Are you jealous, Michael?"   
"What?" Michael huffed. "No, I'm not _jealous_!"   
  
"Torpid is not quite what you would call a social dog. He only appreciates Michael's company. Well, until he met you."   
Liz giggled. "Why is he called Torpid?"   
"He's normally extremely slow," Michael mumbled, "But I don't know what he had for breakfast, cuz he's full of energy now!"   
Max chuckled. He had no difficulty understanding why Torpid acted the way he did around Liz. It was just the force Elizabeth Parker put on you.   
Taking a hold of Torpid's collar, Michael said, "Are we going to the CrashDown or not? I'm starving!" 

--------------------------------------------------

  
  
Liz watched as Max took the Tabasco bottle, removed the lid, and poured it over his banana split. He plunged his fork in the mixture, and moved the piece to his lips. The fork stopped mid-air as he caught Liz watching him with scientific interest flaring in her eyes.   
"You want some?" he teased.   
She jerked out of the spell and smiled guiltily at being caught staring. "No, no. You eat it."   
"Okay," Max said and put the Tabasco covered banana in his mouth. Liz watched him chew with a mixture of nose scrunches and fascinated stares. Max took another piece and put it in his mouth. Moaning in pleasure, he leaned back in his seat.   
"Good?" Liz asked.   
"Wonderful," Max answered after swallowing the mouthful.   
"Can I taste?"   
Max couldn't hide his surprise. "You wanna taste?"   
"Yeah," Liz said casually, as if it wasn't really Tabasco on the banana split.   
  
"Oookaaay," Max said slowly and put his fork in a piece of banana. As he raised his fork to give to Liz, Liz had already closed her eyes and was leaning towards him across the table with her mouth slightly open. Max found his body heating up quickly. His hand slowly moved to put the fork in her mouth and, mesmerized, he watched her lips close around the fork and pull backwards, her mouth slowly moving. Max had never seen anything so sensual in his life.   
"Well…" she said. It was enough to snap Max out of the spell.   
"Did you like it?" he asked, surprise etching his voice.   
She opened her eyes and looked at him as a mixture of a smile and a grimace of nausea played over her face. Max automatically handed her a glass of water. She took it and tried to get it to wash away the taste from her taste buds.   
She put down the glass on the table. "Eww... that was disgusting."   
Max casually shrugged his shoulders. "I told you that you wouldn't like it."   
  
"Yeah, remind me to listen to you a lot more in the future," Liz said, lifting the glass again as the spicy taste stubbornly lingered in her mouth.   
Max grinned. "No problem."   
The bell on the door chimed, announcing the arrival of a new customer.   
"Hi Max!"   
Liz looked up to find a blonde middle-aged woman approaching the table.   
"Hi, mom," Max answered.   
Liz momentarily looked at Max in surprise before turning her eyes back to the woman who was now smiling warmly and looking at her.   
"Hello," Mrs. Evans said, reaching out her hand to Liz, "I'm Max's mom."   
"Oh, mom, this is Liz Parker," Max said.   
Liz took Mrs. Evans warm hand and shook it firmly. "Hi, it's so nice to meet you."   
"I haven't seen you around before. Are you from around here, or...?"   
"I'm from New York," Liz answered.   
Mrs. Evans face brightened in stunned surprise. "Really? So you met each other in New York?"   
  
"Yes, mom," Max answered, glancing at Liz.   
"That's nice. Are you staying here long?"   
"I don't know actually. But I'm free from work for two weeks..."   
"Oh, Max! We should invite Liz over for dinner-"   
"Mom, really that's not nec-" Max protested. He wasn't sure that Liz was comfortable enough to get the third degree by his mother. He knew how inquisitive she could be during dinner.   
"I'd love to," Liz interrupted, smiling brightly at Mrs. Evans.   
"Wonderful," Mrs. Evans said, clasping her hands together, "I'll leave you two alone. I was just here to pick up a cake. I'm so happy to have you home, Max."   
Max smiled at his mother. "I'm happy to be home too."   
His eyes followed his mother as she walked over to the counter and they sat in silence until she was out of ear-shot. He turned his head back to Liz to find her looking at him with a brooding expression mixed with a small smile. As if she were trying to figure something out.   
"What?" he asked.   
Liz dropped her eyes and unfolded the napkin beside her plate, only to fold it again moments later. "Nothing," she said innocently.   
  
Max opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again. He watched how she methodically folded and unfolded the napkin and looked up at the sound of the doorbell to see his mother leaving the CrashDown with a small wave his way.   
"You know, you don't have to go if you don't want to," Max said as he watched the door close after his mother.   
Liz looked up at him, putting the napkin under her plate. "No, I want to go. Why wouldn't I want to go?"   
"Well, you don't know my mother," Max said slowly.   
"That's one more reason to get to know her during dinner," Liz responded lightly.   
"Are you sure?"   
Liz sighed. "Max, could you please stop treating me like a nutcase?"   
Max chin dropped. "What? I'm not treating you like a nu-"   
"Yes, you are," Liz said, "You're acting like I'm going to start climbing the walls if I encounter too much pressure or something."   
  
She was right. Not the part where he thought that she would start to climb the walls, but he was afraid that she would retreat into that black emptiness inside of her. That place where she was unreachable. Judging from what had been going on with her lately, what had happened to her ever since he'd known her, he didn't think he was out of line to be afraid of what she would do next. He didn't know how she worked. He didn't know what triggered her 'attacks' or what brought her out of them. He didn't know why one day she could laugh and talk like any normal being, and the next day she would talk about wanting to die and hanging onto a thin thread to remain conscious. It was that unpredictability that scared him. It was not knowing what to do. His mom might ask one wrong question and Liz would disappear, and that scared him. He didn't want her to disappear. He wanted to protect her from it. But how could he when it was all in her mind and obviously too complicated for herself to handle alone.   
  
"To be honest, your mental state isn't exactly stable," Max said, deciding to be brutally honest.   
Liz dropped her eyes, picked up a spoon and slowly turned it around on the empty plate which created a faint squeaking sound.   
"It's not like I can help it," she said.   
"That's exactly my point," Max said, "Do you even know when you are going to break down again?"   
"I don't break down," Liz protested, looking up into his eyes.   
Max stared at her with disbelief. "Of course you do."   
"I'm fine-"   
"Don't even start with that. We both know that you're not. Do you even remember when this happens or why?"   
  
Liz slowly put down the spoon and reached for her purse sitting next to her in the booth. Without meeting his blazing look she mumbled, "I need some fresh air. Can we go now?"   
Max reached across the table and grabbed her by the wrist, stopping her movement. The warmth hit her like a strong wave, making her feel dizzy.   
"Max...It's just a dinner. I've been at dinners before and I've been doing all right."   
The last 'dinner' she had attended she had passed out and stayed unconscious for several hours after, but Max didn't want to bring that up. "Okay," he relented, releasing her hand. "I know. It's just dinner. But promise me, Liz, if you're starting to feel weird or something, please tell me and we can just go outside for a while. Maybe that will help."   
Liz looked up and met his eyes with her own, which were pools of indecipherable emotions.   
"Don't worry, Max. I can handle it." 

---------------------------------------------------

  
  
The folder was slammed down against the wooden surface of the mahogany desk.   
"Here are the results, sir."   
"All of them?"   
"Yes. We also investigated those 'rashes' that were found on Jeffrey Parker following his remarkable recovery."   
"And?"   
"No other cases of rashes like those have been reported. They are truly unique." The sarcasm was not lost in the utterance.   
"And the test results?"   
"The fibrous structure of the hair is human, the composition of the nails - human."   
"So, what are we dealing with here? Just a remarkable wonder kid?"   
"Not exactly. We found a paper towel with blood on it. There is something odd about the blood cells."   
  
"What do you mean?"   
"At first glance, they appear human. They _look_ human, but there is something that isn't right about the apportionment of the components in the blood cells."   
"What are you saying?"   
"That Elizabeth Parker has either some unknown blood disease or she isn't completely human."   
"What? Are you leaning towards that extraterrestrial theory again?"   
"Actually, neither makes sense. She is far too human to be alien from a scientific viewpoint, but there is something about her blood cells. If even a small percentage of her blood cells were put into the circulation of a ordinary person, the blood cells would probably take nutrition from all of the vital organs. The affinity of her blood cells is higher than that of blood cells in a normal human being."   
"In English, please."   
"Let me put it this way. The blood cells in Elizabeth Parker are working a thousand times more efficiently than the blood cells of any other human being, but if we were to transfuse Elizabeth Parker's blood cells into another person the recipient would die within a couple of hours."   
"Her blood is toxic?"   
  
"You could say that. The blood cells would work like a sponge, draining all of the vital organs of their nutrition, energy, and oxygen, which would end in failure of all of the organs."   
"And how do you explain the rashes on her father?"   
"All we know is that he was in a highly critical state before her visit that day, and was completely recovered after her visit, with rashes on his body. Somehow his daughter made him better. We don't know how yet."   
"Well, you had better hurry up and find out. If Elizabeth Parker possesses only a fraction of the powers we suspect her of, she is dangerous to the human population and should be taken into custody immediately."   
"Yes, sir."

TBC…


	30. Chapter 30

**Charisma – **Wow, you are truly a perceptive person! You point out things in my writing that I haven't even noticed myself that I do ;). Thank you so much for the great feedback!! You certainly keep me on my toes :-)

**Elementalmoon – **Thank you so much for the feedback!!! It means a lot to me!****

**Chapter 30**   
  
"Max!"   
As he walked into his bedroom, the sight assailing him made him stop dead in his tracks. Liz was standing in the middle of his bedroom, dressed up for dinner at his parents. She wore a dark burgundy dress that hugged her body like a second skin, softly hugging her hips before widening out and floating around her, shielding her legs. His eyes languidly traced her body, from the thin straps that rested against her delicate shoulders to her thin bare wrists. Her hair was loose, falling softly over her shoulders, making him envy the hair that got to touch her smooth and soft looking skin. A flush to match her dark dress spread over her cheekbones as his hot eyes traced her curves and she shyly ducked her head. He was speechless. He had never seen anything so beautiful before in his life.   
  
"Could you help me with the zipper?"   
Her voice was so soft, so timid, that he barely heard it.   
He cleared his throat and discreetly wiped his suddenly damp palms against the back of his khaki pants.   
"Sure," he got out, his voice cracking by uttering only that one-syllable word. He moved towards her, feeling his breathing becoming shallower and the room seemingly heating up around him as he moved into the confines of her scent. It was the sweetest mixture of strawberry and vanilla, reminding him of a fresh breeze in the summer. He came to stand behind her and followed her hand as she pulled her hair into a ponytail, pulling it over her shoulder, to get it out of his way. She angled her head forward, granting him better access. His eyes traced her slender neck, memorized every freckle grazing her skin, his hand unconsciously coming to hover just over her skin. Without being aware of it, he licked his lips, as he imagined tasting her skin with his lips.   
  
Liz closed her eyes and angled her head to the side. She didn't even care about analyzing what was happening. She could feel him. She could feel him moving over her skin. She could feel his hand brushing against her skin and goose bumps breaking out under his touch. Her breath hitched in her throat and she moaned softly as she felt his lips on her neck, his tongue moving over her sensitive skin. And yet she knew that he hadn't even touched her.   
"Max?"   
  
Max jumped when he heard her soft voice. He looked at his hand hovering over the crook of her neck and took a deep breath in a fruitless attempt to calm the havoc thundering inside his body. To dampen the rush of hot blood in his ears, the ecstatic beating of his heart in his chest. He swallowed and slowly turned his gaze downwards to the base of the zipper. He slowly drank in the sight of her naked skin, the zipper starting just above her caudal vertebra. He took a deep breath and took a hold of the zipper. Her skin was so soft, so perfect, so warm. He lightly brushed his fingers against her naked skin as he pulled the zipper upwards.   
  
Liz felt as though she needed to hold onto something. Her legs felt weak, as though they were turning into cooked spaghetti from the heat emanating from Max's fingers. Every millimeter they touched her skin, her nerve endings awoke. She could feel herself trembling and something started to grow inside of her. A want. A need. Desire. And it barely cooled down as he removed his hands.   
"There you go," he said softly, his voice sounding strained to her ears.   
"Thanks." She didn't want to move, didn't want the moment to end. But it did and he stepped away from her.   
  
"So," she said, raising her eyes to meet his. She momentarily forgot what she was about to say when she saw the blazing heat in his eyes. The beating of her heart sped up and she unconsciously wetted her lips with the tip of her tongue as she watched his eyes lowering to her mouth.   
"So," she tried again, "do I look okay?"   
Max almost snorted at the absurdity of her question. Nothing could even come close to her beauty tonight. _Nothing_.   
"You look beautiful."   
And it was something about the way he said it, the words softly floating over his lips as though every letter was filled with his love. Combined with the look in his eyes that made her heart flutter in her chest, it made a safe warmth spread over her entire body.   
  
"You...don't think it's...too much?" she stuttered. She was extremely aware of how close he was standing, of how she could literally feel his body heat wrapping around her.   
"It's perfect...you look perfect," he answered. She had the strongest urge to taste his lips. To have his strong arms wrap around her waist, pulling her body flush with his. To feel his hands against her naked skin, to feel his mouth sucking on her neck.   
"Are you...um…ready to go?" he asked. She swallowed, trying to push back the overwhelming feelings of just wanting to push him backwards on the bed and make him forget everything about having dinner with his parents. She mentally shook her head in disbelief at her own thoughts. When did she begin to think like that? The answer was instantaneous.   
  
_Since Max Evans entered your life._   
  
She wet her lips again and nodded. "Yes. As ready as I'll ever be."   
Max couldn't help but think that there was something more behind her words when he gave her one of his half smiles. "Great." 

------------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Hi! You must be Liz."   
"Yes," she answered, shaking his hand.   
"I'm Max's dad, but you can call me Philip."   
Liz smiled. "Nice to meet you."   
Mr. Evans looked at the petite dark beauty standing in front of him. She wasn't just beautiful. There was something special about her beauty. There was something in the way she moved, in the way she smiled. Her beauty was almost… otherworldly.   
"My pleasure," Mr. Evans answered, "It's not everyday that we have such beautiful company."   
Liz blushed and smiled shyly. "Thank you for inviting me."   
Mr. Evans relieved Liz from her coat and put it on a hanger. "Well, we love to meet all of Max's friends."   
  
"Let me show you around," Max said, taking Liz's hand.   
Mr. Evans looked after them as they disappeared into the living room. It was the first time Max had taken a girl home to his parents, not counting Maria. But even though Mr. Evans had never seen Max with a girl, Max's every act, every movement, betrayed his feelings. It was in the way he looked at her. The way his eyes caressed her face and shone every time she smiled. There was no mistaking that Max was in love, deeply in love, with Liz Parker. He felt his wife's arms go around his waist.   
"So, what do you say?" she asked, resting her chin on his shoulder.   
"I think that we can rule out that Max is gay."   
His wife laughed warmly. "You never actually believed that, did you?"   
  
He turned around in his wife's arms and chuckled. "Actually, the more time that passed, the more Maria's theories began to make sense. But this," he vaguely nodded in the direction of where Max and Liz had taken off, "is something else."   
"Did you see how he looked at her?"   
"Yes," Philip answered.   
"Could this be it? Could this be the one he's been waiting for?"   
"I would not be the least surprised," her husband answered, "We Evans men sure know how to pick them."   
Diane snorted and moved out of his arms. "Yeah right." But he didn't miss the smile in her voice. 

------------------------------------------

  
  
Max opened the door and turned on the ceiling lamp. "And this is Isabel's room."   
Liz peeked inside. "But she doesn't still live here, does she?"   
"No, only on the weekends when she's not at school."   
"Oh…So why is it that you don't study anything?"   
"I tried that," Max answered.   
Liz looked at him, expecting him to elaborate, but when he remained silent she inquisitively raised one of her eyebrows. "And…?"   
He shrugged his shoulders. "It wasn't my thing."   
"Why?"   
"It was boring."   
  
Liz couldn't stop the laugh from escaping her throat. "Sorry, but I never would've guessed you to find studying boring."   
"Really?" Max taunted.   
"Really."   
"Then what exactly did you expect from me?"   
She could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest as he leaned closer, their bodies extremely close as they were both standing in the narrow doorway.   
Liz casually shrugged her shoulders. "A Ph.D."   
Max chuckled. "That's a bit prejudicial, Miss Parker."   
"Aha? What about me? What did you expect from me?"   
"A Ph.D.," Max answered casually.   
Liz rolled her eyes. "Exactly my point. Then what stopped you from fulfilling everyone's expectations?"   
  
"I told you. It was boring."   
"Aww, come on! I wouldn't believe for a second that you would give up so easily."   
"Actually, it's a long story," Max said, reaching around her to switch off the light. In the process he accidentally brushed against her breast. She lightly gasped at the contact, the energy that had been awakened when he had helped her getting dressed earlier flaring to life again.   
"Where's your room?" she asked quickly before he had a chance to put words to what had just happened. He swallowed and, not being able to form a sound, pointed wordlessly at the door further down the hall. She nodded slowly and started walking towards the door. His eyes moved down her back, watched how smoothly and lightly she swayed her hips from one side to the next. He groaned in frustration. This was going to be the death of him.   
  
Liz slowly pushed the door open. Somehow it felt somewhat significant that she was to see his bedroom. It was the place where he had grown up. Where he had done his homework, where he had thought, where he had dreamt his dreams. Even before she turned on the lamp she was surrounded by his spicy scent. She found herself deeply inhaling, letting it fill her. Only the scent that was _him_ could fill her with this feeling of security. Only his scent told her that she was protected and looked after. She could feel him stepping up behind her and she turned on the lamp, bathing the room in a soft light. The first thing her eyes landed on was a big bed and her eyes moved to take in a desk, a desk of drawers, and a nightstand. A normal bedroom, but still she felt as comfortable here as the first time she had stepped into Max's apartment. Max's presence permeated every object in this room. Every object had somehow been a part of his life.   
  
"It's not much, but it's home."   
She smiled as his voice drifted across the few inches between them, his warm breath caressing her neck. She stepped inside the room, her eyes slowly taking it all in.   
"You've lived here your whole life?"   
"Yes...more or less," Max answered. Liz frowned at the afterthought in his statement, but decided not to address it.   
Her fingers were lightly tracing the surface of his desk as she slowly asked, "What did you dream of?"   
"Excuse me?"   
She looked up at him, her expression serious. "What did you dream of?"   
He didn't know why he blushed, but her question was so personal... so intimate.   
"Normalcy."   
The three-syllable word almost caused her heart to stop. "What do you mean?" she whispered.   
He looked at her, trying to find calmness in her dark eyes. But he didn't find solace there because they had turned the same tint that they had when she started to drift away from him. He had come to fear that expression. Afraid of pushing her away from him, he decided to deny what he had just said. "I mean, everybody wants to be normal, right?"   
He could see that she didn't believe him. "Max, what do you mean?"   
It was like she could see into his soul, as if she had already guessed that there was something else to his answer.   
He took a deep breath and started to move towards his bed to sit down and tell her. He didn't know what he was going to tell her. But he wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her something. Anything.   
  
_Everything._   
  
They both jumped at the soft knock on the door. Diane peeked her head inside and looked at them with a smile, oblivious to the tension in the room. "Dinner's ready," she announced cheerfully.   
"Thanks mom," Max said weakly.   
  
Max and Liz looked at each other as the sound of Diane's footsteps down the stairs echoed through the room.   
"We should probably..." Max moved his head lightly in the direction of the doorway. She didn't react. She was staring at him, as if she were trying to see through him. As if she were pulling him apart, looking at every piece up close, turning them around, in an effort to find answers to her questions.   
"Liz..."   
She closed her eyes, rubbing the knuckles on her hand against her forehead as she nodded. "Yes, let's go."   
  
  
  


TBC…


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**   
  
  
_His lips were warm and soft, yet pressed firmly against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, opening her mouth to reward his tongue with further entry. Her lips tingled, almost tickled, as she felt his tongue lightly brush over her lower lip before fully taking it into his mouth. Her body arched up against his as she felt his hand close around her breast, softly brushing over her sensitive nipple. Her hands caressed his naked back, feeling the muscles ripple under her touch. She whimpered, a strong craving for his touch, his taste, _him_, overwhelmed her senses. She moaned as she felt him move between her legs, pressing up against her, sending jolts of electricity through her body. __  
"Na nothríe vir."_   
  
Liz slowly opened her eyes, the dream still clear in her mind. She lay there perfectly still and listened to the silence. It was morning. The morning sun was letting its beams spread through the room, cascading over the wooden floor. The dream had been so vivid that she could still feel his hands moving over her skin, still taste him on her lips. She took a deep breath, his scent filling her nose. She moved to lie on her back and watched the shadows chase each other over the ceiling. Something was different. She felt it in the air. Something was missing. Someone was missing.   
  
She lazily stretched her body, the stiffness sleep had brought to her limbs quickly disappearing, and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, leaving his pillow which she had cradled close to her chest throughout the night in the middle of the bed. She slowly moved out of the bedroom, her dream still lingered in the back of her mind; sleep still clogging her thoughts and making her movements slow. Her heart started beating faster in her chest as she took in the signs of his absence. His current sleeping situation on the couch was neatly made. She found a used glass in the sink, and his shoes were gone. She knew that she was being ridiculous. He had probably just gone grocery shopping or something, but she had somehow begun to take his presence for granted. That he would always be there when she woke up in the morning. She was about to fill a glass of water when she saw the note on the counter.   
  
_Good morning, beautiful._   
  
She smiled softly at the endearment.   
  
_I didn't want to wake you. I'm at my parents', washing my car. If you want you can call me on my cell and I'll come and get you, or you can walk to the CrashDown, and I'll meet you there. __  
  
Max_   
  
She put down the note, filled the glass with water, and down, the soft smile not leaving her lips. 

-------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Oh, hi Liz! How nice of you to stop by," Diane said.   
"Hi. Um...is Max around?"   
Diane smiled at the sparkle in Liz's eyes and the slight flush on her cheeks.   
"He isn't outside?"   
Liz shook her head. "No, I didn't see him."   
"Well, let's see if we can find him."   
Liz trailed after Diane as she led the way into the kitchen where they found Max rummaging through one of the cabinets.   
"Look who I found wandering around," Diane said, making Max turn his head. The change to his face was immediate. Diane had to take a step back as something changed in the air as Max and Liz's eyes met. It felt as though something shifted. Something powerful.   
  
"Hey," Max said softly. "Sleep well?"   
"Just great," Liz answered just as softly.   
Diane got the feeling that she was interfering in a rather intimate moment.   
"I'm… gonna go outside and finish hanging the laundry," Diane said, "Just yell if you want anything."   
Max glanced at her briefly. "Thank you, mom."   
Diane smiled inwardly. She had to admit that she had been worried about Max. He had always seemed so closed off, so private and secretive. But seeing him with Liz made her hope that maybe Liz was the one to open him up, to bring him out of his shell. And seeing him barely give his own mother a second glance made her do mental somersaults.   
"I didn't want to wake you," Max said softly, his attention once again on Liz.   
Diane smiled and shook her head slightly as she moved out of the kitchen. She had probably disappeared from either of their worlds the moment their eyes had met.   
  
"I guess I was pretty tired," Liz reflected.   
"That's an understatement," Max grinned. She had almost fallen asleep sitting at the dining room table when they'd had dinner at his parents' the previous evening. Finally, Diane had insisted that Max take Liz home. She had been exhausted from endless nights plagued with nightmares. She had fallen asleep in the car during the short trip from his parents' house to his apartment and she had more or less leaned against him the whole way up to his apartment, lingering at the brink of sleep the entire time. She had been asleep the moment her head had touched the pillow. Max had removed her shoes, and pulled the covers over her before leaving her to sleep.   
"Did you have any nightmares?"   
She shook her head. "No." It was amazing how easy it was to answer that question now. Earlier she had tried to deny it, and just tried to convince him that she was fine, but now she didn't even bother. He wanted to support her and now she was inclined to let him. She could slowly feel herself opening up to him, and the most freeing part about that was that it didn't scare her anymore.   
  
He smiled warmly at her. "That's great."   
She returned his smile. "Yeah… so what are you up to?"   
"Well, Michael's been complaining that my car needs a makeover."   
Liz giggled. "Okay. You want me to help?"   
Max thought about it. "Sure, if I could just found that sponge I usually use."   
He bent forward, his head disappearing inside the cabinet, and Liz couldn't stop her gaze from wandering over his firm behind.   
Max straightened up, proudly presenting her with a yellow sponge. "Found it."   
He frowned with concern as he saw her flushed face. "You okay?"   
Liz could feel her cheeks getting even hotter and when he stepped closer to her, she flushed all the more. "Yes, I'm fine."   
Max gave her one last suspicious look before shrugging it off, "Okay, you can take this," he handed her the sponge, "and then I have some stuff outside."   
  
Liz followed Max outside where he had his black jeep. He had pulled out a hose, a bucket of soapy water already positioned in front of the car.   
"I'll just wash the car off with water first, and then you take the sponge and use the water in that bucket and…well, I can show you later."   
Liz laughed. "I think I can figure it out."   
"I'm sure you can."   
Max went over to the tap at the hose and turned on the water. The water flowed out of the hose, hitting the black metal of the hood of the car with a soft stream. He quickly and efficiently washed off the car, turned off the hose, and came to stand beside Liz.   
"Are you gonna help me?" Liz asked. "Or are you just going to stand and watch me?"   
"I can't complain about the view," Max grinned.   
  
Was he flirting? Liz looked at him, and saw the playful sparkle in his eyes. Oh yes, he was. Well, two can play that game!   
"Okay then." She bent forward over the bucket, immersing the sponge in the water, taking her time to let the water soak into the sponge. She could feel his heated gaze moving over her behind and down the back of her thighs. She slowly straightened up and without turning around, walked over to the car and started to move the sponge over the hood of the car.   
"How am I doing?" Liz asked innocently.   
She heard Max take a deep, shaky breath before he answered, "Amazing."   
"Are you going to help me at all?"   
"Well, I think I'm enjoying this far too much."   
"I think so too," Liz said, and turned around and flung her sponge at him. It hit him squarely in the chest, the water splashing over his body and soaking into his shirt. His mouth fell open in surprise and Liz started laughing.   
  
"Sorry, you looked like you needed to cool down a bit."   
Max's mouth twitched, a look that was a mixture between shock and laughter playing across his face.   
"You think so?" he asked, trying to regain his composure.   
Liz giggled and nodded vigorously. "Aha."   
"Well, then," Max said, taking a step closer to Liz. Liz moved backwards as she read the intentions in his eyes.   
With a sly smile, Max bent down and picked up the sponge.   
Liz laughed and pointed her index finger warningly at him. "No… Max! No!"   
She moved backwards until her back was pressed up against the car. Max seized the opportunity and slowly lifted the sponge, aiming at Liz, his eyes twinkling with mischief.   
"Max...no!" Liz laughed and then jumped to the side as the sponge came flying trough the air, narrowly escaping being hit. She laughed wholeheartedly as he took after her, chasing her around the car.   
  
  
  
"What the hell? Is that Maxwell?"   
Maria stopped dead in her tracks and stared at the scene unfolding in front of her very eyes. Max Evans, shy, cautious, inconspicuous Max Evans, was running around his car with a hose in his hand, spraying water around him. But the most amazing thing was that he was actually chasing after someone, trying to hit her with the water. Liz Parker.   
"Oh, this I gotta see...wet chick!" Michael said.   
"Michael! Don't even get me started," Maria said, tightly hooking arms with Michael's and using all her strength to pull him inside the Evans' house.   
  
  
Liz slipped on the wet ground and fell on her knees.   
"Are you okay?" Max asked, laughter still in his voice but the concern for her wellbeing more pronounced.   
"I think I hurt my knee," Liz murmured.   
Max bent down beside her. "Let me see."   
He didn't even have the chance to react as she quickly turned around and pressed out the water of the sponge over his head. She started laughing as the water ran down the sides of his face.   
"Oh, that was low," Max said. Liz was trying to get away, but was delayed because of her hysterical laughter.   
"Oh no, you're staying here," Max said, taking a firm hold of her waist. She wiggled under his grip, her laughter tinkling through the air. Max took the sponge from where it had landed on the ground beside them, and held it up over her, maliciously raising his eyebrows with a smile playing in the corners of his mouth.   
"No, Max... please…I'm sorry," Liz begged breathlessly.   
  
She could feel the water drip down her chest from the still soaked sponge. But the cold water did nothing to smolder the heat that was building inside of her as she felt the insides of Max's thighs press up against her hips. She had been too caught up in their play to register when he had straddled her hips. She immediately saw it in his eyes the moment he too noticed their compromising position. She watched as his cheeks heated up, flushing with the hot blood moving through his capillaries. She could almost hear the thoughts stumble around in his head as she became increasingly aware of the places where her body was in contact with his. She barely registered that her breathing grew shallower and more erratic as she found herself unable to tear her eyes from his. His dark warm eyes were pulling her in. The air around them sparkled and shifted as the heat generated by their bodies became too great to remain restrained within the confines of their flesh.   
  
A drop of cold water dripped onto her forehead as the hand with the sponge slowly glided through the air, over her head. The unconscious goal of his hand was to place the sponge on the ground, but the road to achieve this goal was disrupted as Max watched the round water droplet trickle down her forehead, continue down her flushed cheeks, and momentarily nestle in the corner of her mouth, before overcoming the obstacle and continuing down her chin. The world seemed to stop around him. All he was aware of was the water wetting Liz's skin, making it glistening in the sunlight. He felt a deep hunger begin to simmer within him. The desire to taste her skin, to run his tongue over her lips was so strong that his body started trembling as the emotions became too wild.   
  
_Too uncontrollable._   
  
It was as if she had forgotten how to breathe. She was seeing only him. Sensing him. Smelling him. The desire for him was running through her body like a faint whispering echo, but it was growing stronger by the second. It didn't scare her. It was a part of her, once forgotten and buried deep inside of her. That part was slowly awakening.   
  
_Reaching out to him._   
  
Her hair fanned out around her face, slightly moving with the wind. He was mesmerized. Intoxicated with her scent. He could read what was going to happen in the way her dark eyes flickered, how her body slightly shifted, and in the change of the currents of electricity coursing through the air that was softly whipping around them. Yet he gasped, his whole soul taking a deep shuddering breath, as he felt her lips on his. He was faintly aware of her small hands moving around his head, nestling in his hair and pulling him closer, his main focus on the burning sensations her lips ignited in the sensory nerves in his lips. He could feel the energy build up between them, could literally feel as every nerve cell was excited, as every channel was opening to send away neurotransmitters. He could feel them joining with the next nerve cell, bringing the current further within him, spreading throughout his whole body. They barely moved their lips, the sensations ripping through their bodies reducing their capacity to do anything but feel.   
  
"Max? Liz?!"   
  
They ripped apart, their dazed looks immediately meeting its kindred eyes. Liz's chest was heaving up and down, her breathing felt forced in her chest as if she were trying to remember how to breathe.   
"Wha..." She panted, struggling to find any words. Struggling to connect her mind with her feelings.   
  
He watched the emotions flicker in her eyes as he slowly plummeted back into his own solid body. What had just happened hit him squarely in the chest with its cold reality. Acting on pure feeling he cradled his hand against her cheek, wanting to stop her from pulling away from him. But something was different now from the first time they had kissed. In the midst of all the emotions that were shimmering in her eyes, he could nowhere see fear. This time she wasn't afraid.   
  
They both felt the almost scorching heat blaze through their bodies as Liz placed her hand on top of the one Max had resting against her cheek.   
  
"Max? Where are you?!"   
  
Max jerked his head upwards as the voice of his mother drifted through the bubble that had formed around him and Liz, separating them from the real world. Like a blind man regaining sight, Max straightened up and looked at Liz. She was lying on her back, her shirt damp from Max's few successful hits with hose. He quickly averted his eyes from her chest, feeling dangerously close to completely losing control of himself when he saw the prominent contours of her breasts press against the wet fabric. In that moment he realized that he was practically sitting on top of her. His hips were straddling hers, and he could feel the heat of her body move, like violent thick waves, into the area of him that ached the most for her.   
  
"Are you out here?"   
  
Max quickly scrambled to his feet, relieved to find that they were behind the jeep so no one could see them. But from the increasing volume of her mother's voice, he suspected that they wouldn't be able to stay hidden for much longer. Liz had already moved up into a sitting position and he could see by the fidgeting movements of her hands as she straightened out her hair and her shirt, that the same restless energy coursing through his body was moving through hers as well.   
  
He offered her his hand to help her up, and she hesitantly took it. They both tried to ignore the feelings that were once again ignited as their hands touched. Liz got to her feet just as Diane stepped around the car.   
  
"Oh, there you are!"   
Then she stopped and just stared at them, her mouth slowly falling open. Max could feel his heart hammering in his chest at her reaction. He hoped that her baffled reaction was only due to their wet clothes and altogether disheveled appearance, and not something else. Could his mother see, feel, the energy coursing through his body? He guiltily tucked his hands in the front pockets of his jeans as he struggled to regain his composure.   
"Mom...hi...um...we were just..."   
"I dropped the sponge."   
Max turned his head to look at Liz, feeling his heart flutter at the sight of her.   
"Yeah...and it fell under the car and..."   
"Max had to help me find it."   
Diane looked from her son to Liz, her head moving back and forth.   
"Mom? Did you want something?" Max asked, his voice timid with insecurity.   
Diane looked at his wet son as if she had never seen him before in her life. "What?"   
"Are you okay?" Liz asked beside him. Diane cleared her throat, furrowed her forehead, only to smother out the lines again and force a faint smile to appear on her lips.   
"Yes...I was just wondering if you wanted something to eat."   
"Yes, sure. We're almost finished," Max said.   
  
Max's heart slowly started to beat at a normal speed. Diane stared at Max, or more precisely, at the faint glow she could not so much see, but _feel_ around him. And Liz was just the same. Diane had never felt anything like it before. It was as if she had stepped right in the middle of a sauna as she had approached Max and Liz. The air around them was hot and thick with emotions.   
"Mrs. Evans?"   
She met Liz Parker's concerned eyes and was able to produce another smile.   
"Well, you just come inside when you're finished."   
"Okay," Max said, "Thanks mom."   
She nodded and with one last long look she turned around and walked towards the kitchen door.   
  
Max instantly turned to Liz. "Are you okay?"   
"What just happened?" Liz whispered.   
"We kissed," Max said slowly, his body humming with the mere statement.   
"Yes," she breathed, stepping closer to him, "But... I've never felt anything like that before. Is that supposed to happen?"   
Max leaned closer to her. "You mean you're never kissed anyone before?"   
How could someone as beautiful as she is not have been kissed? Those red soft lips were just begging to be kissed...   
  
Liz already flushed cheeks acquired a slightly darker tone and she shook her head.   
"Oh," Max said.   
"I have all this...energy inside of me," Liz said, stepping even closer to him, "Do you have that too?"   
Max nodded, putting his arms around her waist and getting wet from the drenched back of her shirt. "My whole body is humming."   
Liz looked up at him, a hint of fear in her eyes. "I can't stop trembling." She put her arms around his neck.   
"Me neither." Max pulled her closer, their wet fronts pressing into the other.   
"I...I have this... I need you, Max."   
He nodded slowly and then lowered his lips to hers. A violent trembling ripped through their bodies as their lips fused together. They pressed up against each other to keep the other from falling. Their lips moved together with fierce passion. Feeling everything. Tasting everything. Max's tongue entered her mouth easily, tasting her. Exploring her. She whimpered under him, letting him fill her every sense. His hands pulled her wet shirt from her warm skin as they moved under her shirt, restlessly skimming over her damp naked skin. She could feel the blood pulse through her and the strong ache in the pit of her stomach intensified. She needed more of him.   
  
She pressed firmly up against him, both gasping as she brushed up against his arousal. She moved her hands under his shirt over his firm muscles, his skin almost burning her fingertips.   
"Max..." she breathed.   
He moaned in her mouth, the sound vibrating though them. He couldn't get enough of her. He had to have all of her. Now.   
  
There was something nagging at the back of his head, demanding his attention, but he kept brushing it away. He felt lightheaded, like he was floating on a big fluffy cloud with Liz Parker's arms around him. They broke apart, in a desperate need of oxygen and Max leaned his forehead against hers, suddenly realizing how hot she was.   
"Liz..." he breathed. Their erratic breathing mingled together, and not being able to go another second without tasting her, he started to kiss her neck, smothering her neck with openmouthed kisses. She moaned upon his assault, angling her head to grant him better access. She pressed her chest into his, her hard nipples aching for his touch, her whole body aching for his touch. The energy and heat were building up inside of her, screaming for some kind of release. The slight tremors ripping through her body turned into shaking and she felt her knees getting weaker. Her focal point was only on one place. Where Max lips grazed her skin. Where his lips were loving her skin.   
  
He could feel her shaking underneath him. The trembles coursing through his body were violent but only weak in comparison with hers.   
"Liz..." he groaned against her throat. The sound vibrated against her neck and she moaned, feeling the heat increase within her. It was curling up into a powerful and scorching heat within her abdomen.   
"Please Max..." She didn't know what she was asking for. But he understood her perfectly, because he felt the same. They needed more. They needed a release for the energy charging through them. The need to feel her naked body, all of her, moving against his was so overpowering that he almost started to undress her right there on the spot. But the nagging voice in the back of his head was slowly growing stronger, and he broke apart from her.   
  
"Liz…we can't," he panted.   
He could feel her small fingers move into his hair, trying to force his lips back to hers. He knew that with one touch of her lips that nagging voice in his head would be talking to deaf ears. He slowly pushed away from her, and saw the hurt flash through her eyes.   
"Liz..."   
Her name was so sweet, so soft on his tongue. She looked around, her face the face of a passionate woman, and she realized where they were.   
"Oh... I guess," she swallowed, trying to force the almost painful energy down to a more acceptable level, "I guess we should get inside."   
"Yeah..." he breathed.   
"Okay," she sighed.   
They were both highly aware of the other as they tried to regain composure enough to show themselves in public. But the strong feelings within them refused to go away, refused to cool down. It was a desperate attempt to feed that strong need when Max reached out and entwined Liz's fingers with his. She gave him a shaky smile and they started to walk towards the house.

TBC…


	32. Chapter 32

Hi y'all! :-)

Thanks a million for the beautiful feedback!! 

Two new chapters coming up…

**Chapter 32**   
  
"So, what do you suggest?"   
"I don't really feel up to giving you any advice," Michael grumbled.   
Maria frowned at him. "Ah come on, Mickey G!"   
"Don't call me that!"   
"Don't get snappy with me! What's wrong with you today?"   
"I just don't feel up to giving you advice on your love life," Michael said sharply.   
"_My lack thereof_," Maria corrected.   
"What do I care if you go on a date with Jack or not?"   
"I just wanna know what you think of him."   
"Do I look like a girl to you?"   
"Is it so difficult to just tell me your opinion?"   
"You don't wanna hear it anyway," Michael huffed.   
"No, I'm beginning to think that I don't!!"   
  
Just then the door opened and Max stepped in, his hand entwined with Liz's.   
Maria threw her hands up into their air, clasping them together as if praying at the sky. "Thank GOD! A reasonable person!" She stopped in her movement, staring at the couple.   
Behind her, she heard Michael stifle a laugh. "What happened to you, Max? You look like a drenched poodle!"   
Maria narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she saw Max blush. Actually, his face was already quite red. Water was trickling down his face in slow tendrils, his already dark hair was as dark as the night sky because of the water molecules that were bonded to it. Her eyes moved lower to see the contours of his chest be outlined against his wet T-shirt.   
"We...um..."   
Maria averted her eyes from Max's stuttering mouth and looked at Liz standing behind Max, partly hidden by his body. Her hair was very dry in comparison to Max's, but there was moisture at the tips, dropping on her wet T-shirt. Maria's eyes widened and she turned to look at Michael, knowing exactly where he would be looking. He didn't disappoint her; His eyes were transfixed on Liz's wet T-shirt, or more precisely, what was underneath that wet fabric. Max evidently noticed his friend's unwavering attention and stepped more fully in front of Liz.   
  
"I thought you were washing the car, not each other," Maria said, unable to not tease them about it. Michael snickered beside her.   
"We're just gonna go..." Max waved towards the stairs.   
Maria grinned. "Yeah, you do that."   
She watched Max take a firmer hold on Liz's hand and pull her behind him.   
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Michael yelled after them.   
"No chance in that happening, is there Michael?" Maria punched him on the arm.   
"Ouch! What was that for?"   
"That's for you lacking any manners whatsoever!"   
"You don't have to get nasty about it!" 

------------------------------------------------------

  
  
Max closed the door behind them, moving over to the adjoining bathroom to retrieve two towels. He suddenly felt very shy in front of her. The intense heat was still radiating off his skin, the water droplets that were cold in his hair turned warm as they trickled down his hot cheeks. She was sitting on his bed. He moved up to her, and placed the towel in her lap. She looked up at him, and smiled softly.   
"Thank you."   
He noticed her trembling hands before she buried them in the towel and softly moved it over her hair.   
"You cold?" he asked.   
"No…" she said. She was quite the opposite.   
"You need some dry clothes," Max reflected.   
  
Liz wrapped herself up in the towel. "Yeah, I guess so."   
"I'll go and see if I can find something in Isabel's closet."   
"Oh...you sure she wouldn't mind?"   
Max smiled softly, making the heat within her flare to life again. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel like she couldn't control her body any longer?   
"I'm sure. I'll be right back..."   
She nodded and watched him move out of the room. She felt the heat within her simmer down a tad and she took a deep breath, only to realize that with the absence of the warmth came the increase of the ache in her lower abdomen. She looked around the room, feeling his scent soothing her, somehow mitigating the burning emptiness within her.   
  
She looked around the room and could feel her breath quickening, her cheeks heating up, and then the door opened and Max appeared. He had a blue sweater in his hand that he held out for her.   
She gave him a soft smile. "Thank you."   
"It might be a little too big-" Max mumbled   
"It's just fine," Liz assured, and then nodded towards the slightly ajar bathroom door, "I'm just gonna… go and change…"   
"Yeah, of course," Max said, stepping out of the way to allow her to walk to the bathroom. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Liz, are you sure you're okay?" Diane asked, concern in her eyes.   
Liz smiled weakly. She was feeling completely drained. "Yes, I'm just tired."   
"She's probably not used to the water games Max subjects her to," Michael grinned. Max momentarily glared at him.   
"It must be truly exhausting," Maria said.   
"How about some more ice-cream?" Diane asked, interrupting them. "Liz?"   
"No, thank you, Mrs. Evans."   
Diane narrowed her eyes as she looked at her and then put her hand against Liz's forehead.   
"Liz, you're burning up!"   
Max turned his head to look at her sitting beside him, guilt and worry flaring in his eyes.   
  
"Maybe you should go and lie down, Liz," Maria said, casting a glance at Max and noticing his guilty expression.   
"Yes...maybe I should," Liz said slowly.   
"You can lie down in Max's room," Diane said.   
"Maybe we should just go home," Max said, meeting Liz's dazed eyes.   
"You might be coming down with something," Maria said.   
"Yes," Liz nodded.   
"Then we're going home," Max said, resolute in his decision and stood up.   
Liz gave Diane an apologetic smile. "Thank you for the ice-cream, Mrs. Evans."   
"Please Liz, I've told you to call me Diane."   
"Okay. Bye, Diane."   
Diane reached over the table as Liz began to rise and squeezed her hand. "Bye Liz. It was nice that you stopped by."   
Liz nodded with a weak smile on her lips and then looked at Michael and Maria. "Bye, guys."   
"You take good care of her now," Maria told Max as Max helped Liz up from the chair.   
"I will," he said. 

-----------------------------------------------------

  
  
The middle aged man slowly sifted through the documents that were spread out in front of him on his desk. He buried his hand in the dark hair that was tinted gray at the temples and let his hand support his tired head. The words in front of him were floating together into an incomprehensible blur. One second they made complete sense, the next they were preposterous. As he now stared at the words, trying to make something out of them, he felt the headache pound behind his skull bone. He glanced at his clock. It was 2:30 in the morning. He should really get home.   
  
_The subject had tiny holes in his teeth. The smoothness of the holes were so perfect that they couldn't have been drilled by any of the equipment of modern dentistry._   
  
Mr. Eash sighed and started to read through the sentences again.   
  
_The subject reports that the whole purpose of the abduction was mainly for reproductive functions, to create hybrids – part human, part alien._   
  
He knew that a lot of the information was to be taken lightly. There were many lies to sift through when dealing with this. He glanced at the profile tucked away to his right.   
  
_The marks, in the shapes of human handprints, were positioned over the subject's heart._   
  
He pulled out the profile from underneath his half-eaten bagel. Somehow he always came back to that profile.   
  
_At the age of seven, Max Evans had an intelligence level of that of a normal 20-year-old._   
  
He sifted through the school records at the back for the umpteenth time. Straight A student, most subjects on an advanced level. But many people were good in school. Many people were straight A students, and _they_ were never of any interest to the FBI. He took out another file and started reading what he had read on countless accounts.   
  
_032083 - Elizabeth was adopted by Nancy and Jeffrey Parker. Biological parents unknown._   
  
That's what it always came down to. Even with how bright both Elizabeth Parker and Max Evans seemed to be, it always came down to one specific aspect that they shared. Their past and, more specifically, the way they became known to this world. There was no record to be found of who gave birth to Elizabeth Parker, or who delivered her to her adoptive parents. There was no record to where Max Evans was prior to his adoption by Diane and Philip Evans at the age of six.   
  
There were just too many similarities to be ignored. He took another glance at his watch. 2.43. He really should get home. 

---------------------------------------------------

  
  
_Everything was black around him. The menacing shadows were creeping up the stark, naked walls. He spun around, trying to focus his gaze on something. But he couldn't see anything. A thick mist formed around him, clogging his mind and his senses. But he could still sense her reaching out for him, calling for him. He stumbled forward as he felt a searing heat in his stomach and cried out her name in his mind. He stumbled through the darkness, his feet dragging him along the white tiles, and he almost tripped as the front of his thighs contacted with a hard steel material. He looked down to find a metal bed in front of him. And he felt her even more clearly, her cries reverberating through his soul. And then he saw her. She was lying on the bed, naked. __  
  
His heart lurched into his throat, breaking into tiny sharp pieces piercing his throat, slashing his windpipe. Her name flew over his lips, his voice sounding alien to his ears. A hand moved out of the shadows, holding a scalpel. The air whooshed out of his lungs, and his whole soul cried.   
  
NOOOOOOOO!!!   
  
He couldn't move. His whole body tensed. He was standing less than one foot away from her and he couldn't move. Could only watch as the scalpel sank into her pale skin, blood flowing up around it. Could only listen as her agonizing cry of pain pierced his soul - shattering him._   
  
  
His eyes flew open, his breath haggard and raspy in his throat. He looked around frantically and soon the fact that he was in his apartment sank in. He swung his legs over the edge of the couch and quickly moved towards the bedroom. He needed to see her. Needed to make sure that she was okay. He opened the door and his eyes landed on her fragile form in the bed. She was lying on her back, her arms flung out from her body. His breath caught in his throat, the relief over finding her unharmed mixing with the desire that quickly awoke inside of him. She had kicked off the covers, and she only wore panties and a thin T-shirt. He stepped closer, the magnetic pull towards her too strong to be denied. As he stepped closer he could feel the cold unmistakable hand of apprehension wrap around his heart.   
  
Perspiration was glittering on her forehead, small trickles of sweat trickled down her temples. He stepped into the room and walked up to the bed. He could literally feel the heat roll of her body in waves as he leaned over her. He put his cool hand against her forehead. She was burning up. She moved slightly under his hand and he removed it. Her breathing was erratic. He stood there looking at her, wondering if he should wake her. He tried to remember what he had learnt about people running a fever. He had never been sick himself, and neither had Isabel, so he didn't have any personal experience with it. He saw her trembling and wondered if she was cold. But she couldn't be. She felt so warm.   
  
He stood there awhile, struggling with what to do, and then he reached over her and took a hold of the covers and pulled them over her. She moved her head, softly murmuring. He moved out into the kitchen to get a washcloth and some cold water and then moved back into the bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed and put the bowl of water on the nightstand. He lowered the cloth in the water and let the water sink into the fabric. The excess water was pressed out before moving the washcloth to Liz's burning forehead. She gasped lightly at the contact, and he flinched at her mild distress.   
  
This was all his fault. He had probably managed to give her a cold by chasing after her with that hose. It was warm in Roswell, but the wind was still chilly. And then he had just attacked her while she had to lie on the hard ground.   
"Max..."   
He looked down at her, her eyes still closed as she darted out with her tongue to wet her dry lips.   
"Liz, how are you feeling?"   
"I'm so warm," she mumbled, but her lips were almost clattering with trembles. With dull movements she took a hold of the covers and tried to pull them off her.   
Max put his hand over hers, and pulled it away. "No, Liz. I think you should leave them on."   
Liz opened her eyes and the cold fingers around Max's heart tightened their grip. Her eyes were slightly red and they were flickering back and forth without finding a stable object to focus on.   
"I'm so warm," she panted, closing and opening her eyes.   
Max removed the washcloth from her forehead, only to find it warm already, and immersed it again in the cold water. "Tell me how you're feeling."   
Liz wetted her lips again. "I dunno..."   
She seemed so confused, so dazed. "I'm so tired...but too warm to sleep..."   
He immersed a second washcloth in the water and moved it to her neck. Her eyes flew open at the contact. "Can you open a window?"   
Max slowly moved the cloth over her slick neck. It was cold in the room, the air conditioning making it colder indoors than outdoors. "It won't do any good, Liz. It's warmer outside."   
She kicked the covers off with her legs, her movements becoming restless again. "I can't..." she mumbled.   
"Max... please..." she panted, "I'm burning up. Please."   
Max looked at her and then nodded, mostly to himself because Liz was too far gone to notice. "Okay, I'll run you a cold bath..."   
"It's so hot...it's so hot," Liz mumbled, trashing her head back and forth.   
Max quickly rose from the bed, walked into the bathroom, and filled the tub with lukewarm water. When he returned to the bedroom, Liz had turned on her stomach, her arm was slung over the edge of the bed, and her T-shirt had ridden up, revealing her bare back and her panties. He took a deep breath to stop his raging emotions from taking control of his body. He kneeled by her and moved one damp strand of hair off her forehead.   
"Liz..."   
She opened her eyes and looked at him. "It's so warm, Max..."   
"I know, beautiful," he said softly, "Let's get you into that bath, okay?"   
She didn't give him any form of reply, just closed her eyes again, and Max realized that he had to help her. She was too weak to do it on her own. He softly rolled her over on her back, and then lifted her up in his arms. Her T-shirt was wet against his arm, completely drenched, and her naked thighs were slick under his hand. Jolts of electricity run down his spine at the touch of her naked skin. She was so hot, so warm in his arms. She rolled her head to the side, resting it against his chest and he cradled her close to him, walking slowly with her into the bathroom.   
  
It wasn't until he entered the bathroom that he realized that he had to undress her. His heart involuntarily quickened in his chest.   
"Liz...?"   
Maybe he could get her conscious enough to get her to bathe herself.   
"Liz...?"   
The trembles had stopped coursing through her body, but she didn't answer him.   
"Can you take the bath on your own?"   
"So warm... please make it stop. I'm so warm," Liz murmured, and Max realized that she was by no means conscious enough to take care of herself.   
"Okay," he mumbled, feeling very nervous. Somehow it made it all easier that she wasn't really conscious, but that didn't lessen the fact that he had never seen a girl naked before.   
He eased Liz down on the toilet seat, and slowly let go of her, making sure that she wouldn't fall before he let go completely. She tiredly fell forward with her forehead against Max's stomach, and Max absent-mindedly began stroking her damp hair. He softly moved his hands down her arms, took a hold of the hem of her T-shirt, and pulled it upwards. He stopped breathing, and he anxiously wondered if he should keep his eyes shut or not. But that wouldn't really work...   
  
Her slack arms leaned against his shoulders as he moved the T-shirt up over her head and away from her body. She was now naked from the waist and up and he took a deep breath before he took a hold of her panties and started to pull them down too, focusing his eyes on her face. He focused very hard on trying to not think about the fact that she no longer had a thread of clothing on her, and gently eased her into his arms again.   
"Liz... I'm gonna put you in the bathtub now, okay? It might be a little cold."   
"Hot..." she mumbled, and he slowly lowered her into the water. The instant the lukewarm water touched her skin, she gasped sharply, but she didn't struggle. She let herself become immersed in the water. Max swallowed profusely as he caught sight of her naked breasts, and he forced himself to tear his eyes away. Somehow it felt wrong to look at her that way, to feel those things for her when she was barely conscious. Her head rolled back against the cool white porcelain edge of the bathtub and he knelt beside the tub, taking a towel and soaking it with water before moving it to her flushed face. She seemed calmer, more at peace. Max slowly started to move the towel over her face, washing off the sweat and cooling her down.   
  
"Max?" He stopped in his movements and moved the towel to meet her eyes. There was a focus in her eyes that hadn't been there before.   
"What's going on?" she asked, her voice still somewhat slurry.   
"You have a fever," Max answered softly.   
She closed her eyes and nodded, satisfied with his simple response.   
They stayed in the bathroom for almost fifteen minutes. Liz drifted in and out of consciousness and Max continuously caressed her face, neck and shoulders with the wet towel. But as the water started to grow really cold, and small trembles once again coursed through Liz's body, Max decided it was time to take her out of the bath.   
"Liz... you should get up now," Max said.   
"Mmm..." Liz breathed. She was tired, so tired.   
  
Max hesitated for a moment before putting his arms under the water's surface and hooking one in the crook of her knees and the other cradled behind her back. He lifted her upwards, feeling the water soaking into his chest as he held her close. Her body was cold now, and he hoped that he had made the right decision to put her in the bath, that he had not made it worse. But if she grew worse, he would use his powers to try healing her...when she was asleep. He slowly put her feet against the soft bathroom rug, and held onto her upper arms to steady her as he leaned into the bathroom cabinet and retrieved a big towel. He wrapped the blue towel around her and then made her sit down on the toilet seat again.   
  
Seeing that she was keeping her eyes closed since she was in a state of semi-sleep he quickly waved his hand over her hair, drying the tips that had become wet. Next he took another towel and bent down to dry her legs. He slowly rubbed it up her calves, trying to stay objective about everything he saw, everything he felt with his hands. He took the towel and gently brushed it over Liz's face, drying her cheeks and forehead. He straightened up and looked at her, her chin resting against her chest and slightly wavering in her sitting position. Could he leave her there without her falling? He quickly came to the decision to do so and hastily moved out of the bathroom, and into the bedroom. Since it would take too much time to rummage through Liz's suitcase, he dived into his own wardrobe and found a flannel shirt. He was halfway back to the bathroom when he remembered underwear. Rushing back, he quickly found a pair of Liz's underwear in the side pocket of her suitcase. Swallowing as he felt the silk material against his fingers he quickly moved back to the bathroom.   
  
Liz was still sitting on the toilet seat, but the towel he had wrapped around her was dangerously close to slipping off - dangerously close to revealing the parts of her that he didn't think his feeble control could handle tonight. He knelt in front of her and put first one foot in her panties, then the next and quickly moved the panties upwards. He stood up and lifted her upwards, and found it very difficult to keep the towel up at the same time as he pushed the panties up the final inches. Finally, he resorted to using some powers to hold up the towel, and Liz... He lowered Liz back on the toilet seat and let the towel fall away, focusing on her face as he threaded her hands into the flannel shirt. He was dangerously close to losing it. Her scent was so strong, tempting him. And her skin was so smooth and soft... He jerked himself out of the thoughts and finished buttoning up Liz's shirt. He quickly waved his hand over the front of his own T-shirt, the water evaporating, drying it, and then he eased Liz into standing position and lifted her up.   
  
"Are we going to sleep now?" He momentarily stopped in his movements as her muffled voice reached him from his chest.   
"Yes, we are going to sleep now," he said.   
She put her weak arms around his neck, barely holding on. "Will you stay with me?"   
"Yes," he whispered.   
"Good," she mumbled and grew quiet.   
Inwardly, he smiled as he carried her to the bedroom. He eased her down in the armchair while he quickly changed the sheets. It was quite easy when you were an alien. He turned around to get her, finding her slowly moving towards him, her eyes half closed.   
He met her halfway and put his arm around her waist, guiding her towards the bed. She slowly laid down in the bed and he laid down beside her. She mumbled softly and curled up against him. Max planted a soft kiss on her forehead before letting her settle under his chin, his arms moving around her and holding her tiny frame close. He reached out with his hand and pulled the covers over them and within a minute they were both fast asleep.

TBC…


	33. Chapter 33

This chapter might be a little confusing. But don't worry, that's very intentional *wink*. Liz is having a fever and is delusive…

**Chapter 33**   
  
She leaned forward and her lips melted with his. She moaned as she felt his tongue enter her mouth and buried her hands in his dark hair, pulling him closer. She felt his hands wander over her body, creeping under every article of clothing. She gasped as she felt his touch skim over her naked skin. His mouth left her, making her whimper at the loss of contact. But he didn't disappoint her. He never did. He slowly pushed her to the bed and eased her down on her back while his mouth began a heated trail down her neck. His hands moved under her thin shirt, brushing over her burning skin on his way to her aching breasts.   
  
He climbed on top of her, his weight feeling comfortable and safe as he lowered himself over her. His mouth whispered words of his love for her. Between the physical loving of his lips and the gentle caressing of her breast under his powerful hand, her whole body was burning up, burning with a fierce desire for him. It made her every joint ache with need for him. The need to have him complete her. His hands pushed her shirt up and she arched her body up against his as his lips grazed her protruding stomach with a soft and light kiss. She needed him so much. She moaned and framed his face with her hands, pulling him up to her lips again.   
  
And then coldness penetrated her skin, seeped into her veins, into the core of her heart and froze it. Suddenly she was alone. She bolted up, frantically looking around her, reaching out with her mind to try to find him, but he was gone. Pain rippled through her, the realization hitting her like a scorching iron bar squarely in the chest. Her breathing fluttered, she couldn't inhale enough oxygen. She looked around the room and her eyes eventually landed on the bed. On her body and on the dark fluid soaking into the white sheets.   
  
Her blood.   
  
No. No. NO! Her heart slowly withered inside of her chest, as the panic pushed into her, devouring her. Feasting on her soul with the appetite of a starving beast.   
  
Her baby.   
  
Her tears mingled with the clay on her cheeks and the blood disappeared into the dark mud.   
  
Please...no…not my baby...   
  
She started crawling. The rain pelted down on her, mocking her with its presence. A lightning bolt lit up her surroundings and she saw him lying on the ground. Her heart cried, her body trembled. He couldn't leave her too. No…   
  
_Liz..._   
  
She crawled up to his shaking body, moving her hand through his hair. She didn't notice as her hand became slick with blood.   
  
_Liz..._   
  
He sounded so far away. Why was he so far away? She looked up towards the dark sky, the dark gray clouds moving quickly over the night sky. The rain was beating her face. She sobbed, her wet and muddy hand moving to her stomach, where only death responded.   
  
_Wake up...Liz_   
  
She felt hands, cold hands, take a hold of her tightly and start to drag her away. Her mind cried out in silent desperate protest, but the owner of those foreign hands didn't listen. She reached out for him, but his wet body slipped away from her touch.   
  
_Liz!_   
  
  
Her eyes flew open to find him leaning over her. Her breathing was coming in quick gasps and she concentrated on his face, letting his worried countenance sink into her, convincing her that this was reality and that the other place, which was slowly fading into a hazy memory, wasn't.   
  
With a snap her senses flared to life. She felt his warm palm caress her cheek. She felt the cold washcloth on her forehead. She felt the hot tears rolling down her cheeks. She felt the icy coldness that infested her bones.   
  
"It was only a nightmare," he said.   
  
She could feel her bottom lip pounding, stinging with the emotions rolling through her. She wanted to believe him. She had never wanted anything more in her life. But though she wanted to let him tell her about the world and chase all her demons away, she could still feel the pain in her abdomen and the shattering pieces of her trashed heart tearing at her insides.   
  
"You're safe," he mumbled.   
  
She could see that he was worried. She didn't want to worry him, but her defenses weren't working well at the moment. She couldn't get herself to smile and reassure him that it was _only a nightmare_ because she didn't believe that herself. She wanted to feel safe. She wanted to know what that feeling was really like.   
  
"I'm cold..." she whispered. The concerned crease on his forehead deepened and she felt the cold and wet cloth being removed from her forehead.   
"You were burning up a second ago," he said softly.   
The chattering of her teeth and the shivers running through her body told him that that was no longer the case.   
"It's cold in here," she whispered.   
Her blurry mind vaguely registered as his eyes moved over her and she was already drifting back into unconsciousness as his words drifted towards her.   
"I'll get you another blanket..." 

----------------------------------------------------------

  
  
_Il reinaid monrí __  
  
Lotrí fae etevame_   
  
She tried to break free of the hard chains of desperation and desolation. The voices were so familiar and somehow she recognized the words. Yet, she couldn't understand them. They entered her mind with a fierceness that broke her calmness and her sense of security. With a fierceness that disrupted her inner sense of peace.   
  
_Luminatà lorir_   
  
"You have to come here... I don't know what to do...."   
  
_Torimentra êl sila_   
  
"Should I take her to a doctor?"   
  
_Nîmre...._   
  
"She's running a fever, and she's delirious... "   
  
_Na nothríe vir_   
  
"Max?" Why was everything so dark? So misty...   
"I'm right here..."   
She felt a warm hand against her cool cheek.   
"Maria, I'll call you back, okay?"   
Her heart was pounding in her chest, her throat felt as dry as sandpaper, her esophagus rasped as she spoke.   
"Yes...yes, she did. I'll talk to you later."   
The eyelids were just so heavy.   
"Liz?"   
"Where...am I?"   
  
A pause. She felt the quiet darkness trying to take a hold of her again, but his voice dragged her out of it.   
"You're in my apartment...in Roswell. Do you remember?"   
Why did he sound so far away? She just wanted to close her eyes, yet something in his voice stopped her. She had to do something for him. She just didn't know what it was.   
"Water..."   
"Are you thirsty?"   
  
She swallowed even though there was nothing in her throat to swallow. She couldn't provide him with an answer, but nevertheless she felt the cool, hard, smooth surface of a glass against her dry lips. She felt his hand in her hair, pressing lightly against her scalp, tilting her head up, and she could feel the smooth and fresh cold water flow down the inside of her throat, having a balmy effect on her parched body.   
"Max..."   
  
She could feel him all around her. She had never felt him so strongly before. She could feel his scent mingling with the air, tickling her senses. She could feel waves of heat from his body moving into her own, reassuring her of his presence. And she could feel his eyes. She didn't see them, but she could feel them moving over her face. She softly moaned as the weight of a heavy guilt and dread fell on her. Why was she afraid? But as she felt the strong emotions surrounding her, she realized that it was not _her_ emotions she felt. They were Max's.   
  
"What is it, Liz?"   
She could feel the drowsiness pulling on her, making it hard for her to resist the deep sleep.   
"Don't worry...." Her voice was thin and raspy. "It's nothing dangerous."   
"How...how do you know?"   
"Trust me..." 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  
Liz woke up feeling safe and warm. There was a dull pounding at the back of her head and her eyes stung as if someone had poured salt in them. But that became secondary, as she snuggled closer to him. She could feel his arm resting over her hip, his other arm under her head, and his hand nestled in her hair. She slowly opened her eyes, fighting off the piercing ache in her head as she began to move. Her sight was blurry at first, but soon a white T-shirt materialized in front of her. She sighed in contentment and pressed her cheek against the fabric, relishing in its scent and the warm body underneath it.   
"Hey..."   
  
She smiled against his shirt as she heard his soft voice. It was such a beautiful voice, so soft, warm, and comforting.   
"Hey," she murmured, but her smile faltered slightly as the rough air scratched against her windpipe. She turned her head up and found his beautiful eyes meeting hers She felt her heart flutter and tingles spread through her body. Her cheeks heated up under his gaze.   
"How are you feeling?"   
"Better..."   
He smiled and she realized that he really should smile more.   
  
She returned his smile, feeling her skin stretch from the small motion.   
"So...how did I end up here?"   
"Here?"   
She couldn't help but smile as she felt her body heat up in the places where his body contacted with hers.   
"Yes, in your arms."   
She could see that her bluntness surprised him slightly and he shifted beside her.   
"Do you remember what happened?"   
Her smile slowly slipped off her face like snow slowly melting in the warm spring sun.   
"I've been sick, right?"   
"Yes..." He looked away, but not before she could see the moisture in his eyes, which worried her. "I was really worried."   
  
She dropped her eyes to his shirt, not knowing what to say. She couldn't remember anything of her sickness. Everything was a big blur.   
"I don't remember much..."   
Max looked down at her and the hand that had been resting in her hair moved up to cradle the back of her head.   
"You were running a fever and you were so hot and I didn't know what to do and then you were shivering and you were so cold and I just..."   
"Max..."   
"I've read somewhere that the best way to warm somebody up is with body heat, so I figured if I held you, you wouldn't be so cold and you wouldn't-"   
  
"Shh," Liz whispered, bringing up her hand to his lips. She swallowed as she saw a lonesome tear trickling down his cheek. She could feel the pent up worry explode inside of him and her whole heart ached. She moved her hand from his warm moist lips to his cheek, capturing the tear on its downward journey.   
"Thank you, Max," she said softly, filling every word with emotion.   
He smiled slightly and sighed deeply. "Don't scare me like that again, okay?"   
She nodded. "Okay..."   
"Do we have an agreement?"   
With the thundering of the headache at the back of her head, she smiled. "Yes."   
And the phone rang.   
  
Their eyes met, silently communicating. Max's eyes asked her if she was okay with him leaving and hers answered that she was fine. It was all smooth, instinctive. Max pulled away from her, his hand sending tingles across her skin as it moved from under her neck. His fingers brushed against her hip as he removed his other arm. He rolled onto his back and reached for the phone.   
"Max Evans," he answered.   
"Hello? This is Jeffrey Parker. Is Elizabeth there? She gave me this number."   
"Yes, she's here. Hang on a sec."   
Max covered the mouthpiece with his hand and turned to look at Liz.   
"Liz, it's your dad. Can you talk?"   
She nodded and he passed her the receiver.   
"Hi daddy..."   
  
Max could feel himself relax as he saw her talk on the phone with her father. She almost appeared normal today. It was as if her illness had never occurred. And the ease with which she allowed him to get close to her baffled him. There were so many sides of her that he didn't know and he was sure that there were more sides of her he had yet to see, and that almost frightened him.   
Liz jerked her eyes towards his as there was a knock on the front door.   
  
She gave him a soft smile as he apologetically gestured towards the door. He scrambled out of the bed, raking his hand through his hair as he opened the door.   
He was met with the very concerned face of one Maria Deluca.   
"Hi Maria."   
"God, Max. You look like shit."   
"Gee, thanks Maria. You know just how to make a person feel better about himself."   
Maria pulled him into a quick, but comforting hug. "How is she?" she asked as she pulled back.   
"She's better...much better," Max answered.   
"She's awake?"   
"Yes, she's on the phone with her father."   
"Oh..." Maria looked Max over. "You really look like a living dead. Have you slept at all?"   
  
Max rubbed his forehead, Maria's question making him realize how tired he really was. "No... I was just so..."   
"Worried," Maria filled in with a sad smile, "But she's better now?"   
"Yes...it's really weird. It's like it never happened. She's acting pretty normal."   
"Yeah...that's weird," Maria pondered as she slowly sank down in Max's sofa.   
Max trotted over to the armchair across from her and buried his head in his hands.   
"So, tell me what's really bothering you."   
"What do you mean?" Max's muffled voice asked, not raising his head.   
"Don't play stupid. It's not difficult to see that the reasonable Max Evans have packed his bags and gone on a guilt trip."   
Max groaned. "Maria..."   
"Max, come on. You can't hide anything from me, remember?"   
"Unfortunately yes," Max mumbled.   
  
"Why does it sound as if you're not so happy about our painfully honest relationship?" Maria asked, feigning hurt.   
Max raised his head from his hands and flipped back in the couch, moving his eyes to the ceiling with an exasperated sigh.   
"A certain frog story comes to mind..."   
"Oh, come on! That's fun!"   
"No, Maria," Max groaned, "That's not fun, that's _embarrassing_!"   
"Anywaaay, I'm not going to let you off the hook that easily."   
"Just my luck."   
"Don't be sarcastic, okay," Maria warned, "So spill!"   
"I just...you know Liz and I were washing my car...." Max began.   
A grin spread over Maria's face. "Well, if you say so. I didn't think there was too much washing of the _car_ going on, personally."   
  
"Whatever," Max interrupted, his red ears betraying him, "And we got wet..."   
"Aha," Maria said, suggestively arching an eyebrow.   
Max rolled his eyes and turned his gaze to his hands. "And then she was running a fever..."   
Maria sighed. How could that have escaped her? Max was blaming himself for Liz's condition. "Max, I consider you quite bright."   
"Eh...thank you, I think," Max said.   
"So you should know that human beings don't purposefully inflict viruses on each other - if they are not a carrier of it, that is."   
Max opened his mouth to answer, but Maria put up her hand to cut him off. "But, as far as I know, considering your," Maria conspiratorially lowered her voice, "otherwordly status, you don't get sick so you couldn't have been to one to give it to her."   
"But I can be a carrier."   
  
"Max, please. Let's be realistic. Besides, as you were immersed in your water sports," she couldn't help but wink at him, "it was like 105 degrees outside. Not really the weather to catch a cold in."   
"Then why was she sick?"   
"Maybe it's something she has had in her system for some time and it just like exploded right now. Those things exist...I think... I've read something about that."   
Max sighed. "It doesn't really explain anything, Ria."   
"Then, what's your theory? Please enlighten me, Max, and don't give me the water sports excuse, because I find that one ridiculous."   
"She got a fever _right_ after that," Max said, not letting it go.   
"Did you do anything else that day?"   
Max opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted as Maria's face lightened up with the sudden spurt of insight. "Oh, I know. What if she got food poisoning? That can happen! And it doesn't last for very long, right?"   
Well, that _did_ make some sense. Max couldn't deny that. But still, Liz's behavior had been off somehow.   
  
"Ria, I need to ask you something."   
"Sure, shoot."   
"Um, has Michael told you anything about his...um...endeavors?"   
"His endeavors...? Ohh... you mean him flirting with everything that wears a skirt?"   
"Well, yeah."   
Maria shrugged. "No, you know Michael. He's not exactly known to be the most talkative person around."   
Max leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes as he tiredly rubbed his forehead.   
Maria immediately turned serious, zooming in on Max with her Max radar. "Max, what are you saying? Did you and Liz have sex?"   
Her blunt question made Max sharply jerk his head in position to stare at her face, his whole face slowly turning beet-red.   
  
"No!" he blurted out and then quickly took a deep breath, "I mean…no, we haven't, Maria."   
Maria put up her hands in front of her in defensive gesture. "Relax, Max. I didn't really think you had either, but have you kissed since that disastrous first kiss?"   
Max grimaced at the memory and Maria's description of it. The red tone to his face turned into a deep crimson color and he dropped his eyes to his fidgeting fingers. "Yes."   
"And..." Maria pressed. She knew that she was onto something. If she could just get that stubborn man talking!   
"Michael hasn't told you about anything weird happening when...um...making out, has he?"   
Maria squinted her eyes. Could he get off the Michael subject already?   
"No…he hasn't. Did something happen when you kissed Liz? You know, something _special_?"   
Max raked his hand through his hair. "I don't know. God, Maria. I don't know."   
"Shh...calm down, Max," Maria said, his defeated stance worrying her.   
"I've never kissed anyone before and I don't know what it's suppose to feel like."   
"Well, what did it feel like?"   
  
Max met Maria's eyes. How was he supposed to find the right words to describe what it felt like?   
"It felt…explosive," Max whispered.   
"Ohkay," Maria said slowly. "But that's good, right?"   
"You tell me...does it feel that way for…you, or is it an...um..."   
"Alien thing?" Maria filled in with a low voice.   
Max winced. He had never hated his origin more than he did at this moment when he realized that it might be the cause of an illness, something that caused Liz pain.   
Maria sighed and moved further out on the couch and placed her hands soothingly on Max's knees.   
"Max, I've only kissed Rob Jones in third grade, John Miller in eighth grade and Martin Miles last year... Those are not what you would call 'explosive' kissers."   
Max gave her a weak smile and Maria relaxed some. "Maybe it will feel explosive when I meet the right guy, Max. Alien or not." She ignored Max's grunt. "But what does all this have to do with Liz being sick?"   
  
Max took a deep shuddering breath. "What if I changed something inside of her when I kissed her? We don't know if we are compatible with humans. What if we are like poison to human bodies-"   
He quieted when Maria couldn't stop the laughter she had been trying to hold in from erupting. "Sorry, Max. But honey, you are not poison!"   
Max rubbed his forehead in an agitated movement. "No, maybe not, but we don't know what can happen."   
"Max, if your theory is correct then we would have cases of inexplicable diseases popping up all over Roswell with every girl that has had some contact with Michael Guerin."   
"Maybe we are of a different race-"   
"Listen to yourself! This is getting more and more bizarre, Max! And besides, I would've guessed that healing someone would more easily change that person then kissing her. But _I_ never had any weird fevers."   
  
"I tried to heal her, Ria, and it didn't work," Max said quietly.   
Maria frowned. "That's weird. I thought you could heal all diseases."   
"Well, I've actually never tried with viruses and bacteria, but it shouldn't be more difficult than tumors."   
"No, precisely. That's really..."   
Her voice trailed off as they heard the bedroom door open.   
Max was instantly on his feet.   
  
Maria stifled a gasp as her eyes landed on Liz's fragile figure. She thought that no one could look worse than Max did, but Liz had definitely succeeded. She was deathly pale and her eyes looked big and dark in her white face. The whites of her eyes were slightly red. Her lips were parched and she had dark circles under her eyes. However, it wasn't the remnants of Liz's illness that had caused Maria to react, it was the glow that she seemed to radiate, even in her sick state. It was as if her skin were illuminated. As if someone had turned on a lamp inside of her and its light was floating out through her every pore. Maria watched as Max stepped up to Liz and put his hand against the small of her back. She saw the soft smiles being exchanged and the love that shone in their eyes. She had never seen anything like that before. It was magnetic. Electrical. It sizzled in the air.   
  
"Hey Maria," Liz greeted. Her voice was very weak and hoarse and Maria had to strain to hear her.   
"Hey Liz," she replied with a warm smile.   
"Liz…you shouldn't be up walking," Max softly berated Liz.   
"I'm starving," Liz answered with a smile, effectively avoiding Max's slight pampering, "Are you guys gonna eat something?"   
Maria had to hand it to her. It was not easy to shake off Max's over-protective tendencies, but Liz did it with an ease that left Maria mildly impressed.   
"I heard you weren't feeling too well," Maria said, "So I stopped by to see how you were doing."   
"I'm much better, thanks," Liz answered, "And I will feel even better after I've eaten something."   
  
She gave Max a pointed look, which he intentionally ignored. "Liz, you should sit down."   
"I'm fine, Max," she said.   
"Yep, I've heard that one before," Max said, "But you can't fool me this time."   
Maria had to smile. They were just so cute together, so very much in love, and yet both so unaware of it.   
"I'll make you breakfast if you sit down," Max negotiated.   
"I can't argue with that," Liz answered.   
"What do you want?" Max asked.   
"Mmmm…lemme think...Pancakes," Liz answered.   
"Sounds great," Maria said, "I'll order that too."   
"Okay, ladies. Get comfortable and your food will be served ASAP. Maria, can you get Liz a blanket? She shouldn't get cold."   
Liz and Maria looked at each other and rolled their eyes in unison.

TBC…


	34. Chapter 34

Hi!

Thank you soooo much for the feedback!! 

Charisma wrote: _"And I loved the Micheal/Maria dialogue, too. And Max and Liz are so good that it's just repetitive for me to mention..."_ Oh no, you could never be repetitive. Please, repeat yourself! Lol. I'll never get tired of hearing that :-D

Here are the next two chapters… :-)

**Chapter 34**   
  
"I'm just gonna..." Liz waved in the direction of a bench.   
"Yeah, sure," Maria said.   
She watched Liz slowly sit down on the bench and sat down beside her.   
"Are you sure you're okay?" Maria asked.   
Liz smiled at her. "Yes, I'm just a little tired."   
"Okay. But you gotta tell me as soon as you want to go home, because I don't want to experience Max Evans' wrath.   
"I don't think he's gotten over that I went shopping with you yet," Liz said.   
Maria grimaced. "Nope, you're probably right. But you needed to get out of that house, right?"   
  
"Yes," Liz said, "So, what's next on the list?"   
"Shoes," Maria answered, her eyes sparkling.   
"Shoes?" Liz repeated with a smile.   
"Definitely shoes," Maria said, "Aaand, of course, some information on what's going on between you and Max."   
Liz froze while getting up from her seat.   
"Don't look so horrified," Maria laughed.   
"Sorry," Liz smiled self-consciously, "I guess I'm not used to this whole...sharing thing."   
"Come on, don't tell me you've never talked about this sort of thing with your friends," Maria said with a smile, which quickly slipped off her face when Liz shook her head. "You haven't?"   
  
"I've never actually had any friends...just Alex."   
"Alex?"   
"I met him at the university where I was studying. You really should meet him sometime, I think you would like him."   
"I would love to meet him," Maria smiled.   
"Maybe I should call him, I haven't talked to him lately," Liz said, guilt in her voice.   
"That would be great, but don't think you can avoid my question that easily," Maria said as she walked into one of the shoe shops, "Tell me about you and Max."   
The blushing smile that draped itself over Liz's features at the question was really answer enough for Maria, but she wanted to hear it from Liz. She wanted Liz to confirm what she already suspected.   
  
"I like him...very much," Liz said quietly, taking a shoe from the shelf and absent-mindedly studying it.   
"You 'like him', huh? Nothing more?" Maria taunted.   
Liz ducked her head, but not before Maria could see the blush spread over her cheeks.   
"I don't know yet," Liz answered slowly, "But yesterday we...um...kissed."   
"And how was it?" Maria asked, observing Liz with sparkling eyes.   
Liz glanced up at Maria and dropped her eyes to the other shoe she had taken in her hand. A soft secret smile played in the corners of her mouth as she answered. "Beautiful."   
Maria's small smile broke out into a big grin. Why couldn't either Max or Liz see how much in love they really were with each other? It was so obvious. The warm smiles, the dreamy looks, the soft giggles, the blushing. It was all there for the rest of the world to see. Maria could practically feel it radiating off both Liz and Max when she was in their presence.   
  
"Liz...have you and Max talked about this?"   
Liz looked up at her and put the shoe back on the shelf while she shook her head. "Not much. I guess we are both a little...confused."   
Maria nodded slowly in understanding. "Talk to him, Liz. I'm sure you will see just how much he reciprocates your feelings."   
"You think so?"   
"Liz, Max is a great listener. I wouldn't have survived if the only person I could ramble to about all of my personal problems throughout the years were Michael. I probably would've gone crazy," Maria smiled, "And come to think of it, Michael probably would've too."   
Liz giggled. Maria stepped up to her and made sure she met her eyes. "Liz, communication is everything. From what Max has hinted, you have a tendency to bottle up everything inside of you, but that's no good. Talk to him, Liz. He'll listen."   
Liz gave her a faint smile and nodded. 

----------------------------------------------------

  
  
Max heard the front door open and close and looked up towards the doorframe. He smiled as Liz appeared.   
"Hey," he greeted softly.   
Liz sighed. "Hey." Max saw her grimace of fatigue.   
"You tired?"   
Liz's shoulders sagged and without another word, she walked into the bedroom and plopped down on the bed.   
"Exhausted," she groaned.   
"Was the Shopping Nazi hard on you?"   
"She must've pulled out her worst weapons," Liz mumbled from behind the arm she had flung over her eyes.   
Max chuckled.   
  
"I mean," Liz rolled over on her side and propped her head up on her elbow, "she kept insisting that we buy this and that, and then she made about three thousand promises that we were only going to _one_ more store. I'm telling you, I've never seen so many fitting rooms before in my life."   
"I can't say I envy you," Max said.   
Liz gave him a tired smile. "But it was fun. She's really great."   
Max nodded. "When she's not trying on eighty different pair of shoes."   
"Or a hundred different sweaters just to see which one matches her skirt," Liz groaned, "I can't believe I actually let her talk me into going."   
"At least you can be happy that you weren't with my sister. She's even worse. Those two together at a shopping mall, a lethal combination," Max said, and then turned serious. "How are you feeling? Any dizziness?"   
Liz smiled warmly at his concern. "No, I'm fine... just bone-tired."   
"That's good. That you're feeling better, I mean."   
  
Liz looked up at Max and for the first time noticed that he was sitting with some papers.   
"So, what have you been up to the whole day?"   
"Nothing special," Max answered evasively.   
Liz rolled onto her stomach and moved closer to him. Max kept his eyes locked with hers, feeling the now familiar heat build up within him.   
"Is it something secret?" Liz asked.   
"Not really," Max said, "It's just...applications."   
Liz frowned. "Applications? What are you applying for?"   
"University."   
Liz's face broke out in a smile of surprise and genuine joy. "You're kidding me."   
"Nope."   
  
Liz unconsciously moved closer to him. "Well, Mr. Evans. If I remember correctly, you used to consider universities to be boring."   
Max shrugged his shoulders. "I changed my mind."   
Liz raised her eyebrows. "Aha... What are you going to study?"   
"Medicine."   
Liz smiled and propped her chin up on his chest. Max looked down into her eyes, feeling the warmth in his body rush to the place where the weight of Liz's head rested against him.   
"I think that's great, Max."   
"I just figured that maybe I shouldn't be working at the UFO center my whole life," Max said, trying to keep his tone light, but found it increasingly difficult as Liz moved closer to him, her whole body now pressing up against his.   
  
"Yeah, maybe it's not the best place to make a career," Liz agreed. She was so close right now that he could feel her warm breath caressing his face. All he had to do was to lean forward and he would be able to taste her lips. He wasn't really sure where they stood. They hadn't kissed since the kiss by the car, because Liz had gotten sick after that. Did she regret that they had kissed? She'd had some time to think about it and maybe she thought it was a big mistake.   
  
His insecurities were suddenly interrupted by the feeling of her soft lips on his. His eyes drifted closed. His entire body froze as he concentrated solely on the kiss. Savoring the taste of her lips, cherishing their softness and smoothness. The tingles from the nerve endings in his lips heightened the feelings and spread so he could feel them right down to his toes.   
  
Liz slowly pulled back and he opened his eyes to find her looking at him.   
"What's happening between us, Max?"   
"I don't know," he answered honestly, "but I could definitely get used to it."   
He leaned forward and captured her lips again, her scent intoxicating him, making him crave more. He could feel her move more fully on top of him, her hand creeping around his neck. She moaned into his mouth before pulling back. Her breathing was shallow as she met his eyes again.   
"Me too... I've never felt like this before."   
Max captured one of the silky tresses of her dark hair and let it glide through his fingers. "Me neither."   
"It's just..."   
Max looked into her eyes and then let his eyes drift to her mouth. "Explosive," he filled in.   
"Exactly."   
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've never been in a relationship either."   
  
He smiled at the surprise on her face. "You haven't?"   
He softly traced her jaw line with his index finger, his heart quickening as she angled her head into his touch.   
"No," he answered softly.   
"Why?" She cocked her head to the side, as if the new position would make her understand easier. "I would imagine a handsome man like you would have women crawling all over you."   
Max shrugged his shoulders. "I can't deny that."   
Liz's chin dropped in surprise at his blunt statement and she swatted him over the chest, which only elicited a chuckle from him. He captured her hand and slowly laced their fingers together.   
"No one was the right one for me," he said softly.   
"Then who is right for you? Tell me, Max Evans. How does your Dream girl look like? Blonde curly hair, curves...?"   
  
"Actually, I have her very clear in my mind," Max said slowly, his eyes fixed on her while his fingers languidly played with hers.   
"Let's hear it," Liz said, struggling to keep her tone light under his blazing gaze.   
"Dark brown hair. Long. And so shiny and soft that you just have to touch it."   
"You have a hair fetish, don't you?"   
Max grinned. "No comment. And she will have dark eyes and the most red," his hand moved to gently brush over her lips, "kissable," he placed a soft kiss on her lips, "lips. And of course, she's incredibly beautiful."   
"Well..." Liz inhaled deeply to get control over the powerful emotions churning inside of her, "You'll have to search long to find that one, but good luck."   
  
Max buried his hand in her dark masses and pulled her close. "Come here," he murmured huskily before pressing his lips against hers. Liz was happy they were lying down because she didn't think she would be able to keep on standing if they weren't. But what Maria had said earlier was still clear in her mind and, with a sigh, she pulled back. "I don't know, Max. I'm completely torn."   
She met Max's questioning eyes and continued, "My mind tells me that I don't really know you and if I don't know you how can I start a relationship with you?"   
"Stranger things have happened," Max answered.   
"Yes...but my heart tells me something completely different."   
"Tell me."   
"That I know you. It's just... It _feels_ right. It feels right in a way that nothing has ever felt right in my life before."   
Max nodded slowly. "I think I'm falling for you, Liz Parker," he said, even though that was only half the truth. He was not falling for her; he had already fallen. He had fallen hard and fast. He was deeply mesmerized by Liz Parker.   
  
Even though his words warmed her heart, logic was talking right now. "But you don't even know who you're falling for. I'm complicated. I don't want to suck you in."   
"I have told you before and I'll tell you again," Max said, "it doesn't matter how much you fight it, I'm already a part of your life. Liz, there's a lot of things I don't know about you, but there's also a lot of things you don't know about me. And maybe it would be for the better if we didn't get involved in each other's lives for reasons I can't tell you right now."   
Liz frowned at his last words. What did he mean? Why did she get the feeling that he was hiding something from her? Something major.   
"But these feelings are strong and I can't deny them," Max continued, "I find myself trying to understand how I ever got up from bed everyday without seeing you first thing in the morning."   
Max's gaze was so intense that she had to drop her eyes. "I'm just...scared. This is all so new to me. I'm afraid I won't be able to live up to your expectations." Max opened his mouth to protest, but Liz silenced him by softly placing her finger on his lips. She needed to get this out. "Sometimes I feel like you have this beautiful conception of me and I'm just going to disappoint you...and hurt you."   
Max cradled the side of her face with his hand and looked her deeply in the eyes. "Liz, I'm new to this too, just ask Maria. She thought I was gay."   
  
Liz giggled and Max smiled. "We'll work on this together, okay? I don't want to pressure you, you know, about the nightmares and everything, but I want you to know that you can talk to me whenever you need to talk. I'll be here."   
"What about New York?"   
"I'm coming with you," Max said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.   
"Max..." Liz sighed, "This is all very new. I mean, how can we be sure that this...whatever is going on between us, is worth giving up on our own lives-"   
"We wouldn't give up on anything," Max interrupted, "Liz, this is something real and so deeply right that I can feel it whenever you're around. I can't let go of this now. That would be stupid. We're not giving up ourselves, we're just following our hearts."   
Liz dropped her eyes to where she was absent-mindedly playing with the collar of his shirt. "My mom used to say that."   
  
Max smiled softly. "She was a very wise woman."   
"I don't know how I even remember that. I guess it was because she kept repeating it. Saying it like there was something deeper behind it. Something profound, that only she knew about. You know how parents often, when tucking their children in, says something like 'I love you more than all the stars on the sky.'?"   
"Yeah..." Max said slowly, wondering what she was hinting at.   
"My mom didn't say that, come to think of it. Every night she said, 'Follow your heart, sweetheart. I love you.' I can't believe I remember that."   
"Do you think of her a lot?"   
"Every day," Liz answered quietly.   
Max brushed some hairs off her forehead. "Thank you, Liz."   
Liz met his eyes in question. "For what?"   
"For letting me in."   
  
  
  


TBC…


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**   
  
"Liz, can you come here for a second?"   
Liz walked into the kitchen, a soft smile on her face. "You wanted something?"   
She eyed Max standing at the stove and had to struggle to stifle her giggle. He had an apron on and Liz couldn't decide if he just looked funny or incredible sexy. Or a giddy and intriguing combination of the two.   
"Come here," he instructed, holding out a wooden spoon towards her.   
Liz stepped up to him. "Mmm…it smells great," she said.   
"I need you to taste it," Max said. Since his sense of taste was a bit different than hers, he didn't want to make it too spicy for her. Liz leaned closer.   
"Be careful, it might be hot," Max said.   
Liz caught his eyes with her own smiling ones as her lips closed around the spoon. Max watched her as she pulled away with her eyes closed as she pondered the food.   
  
"Good?" he asked.   
"Mmm..." Liz mused hesitantly, her eyes still closed. She slowly licked her lips and a smile slowly formed on her face.   
"Is it that bad?" Max asked.   
Liz shook her head and then leaned up to him, keeping her eyes closed, and melted her lips with his. He hadn't seen that one coming. Feeling too paralyzed to move due to the flutters she caused inside of him, he didn't have time to react before she pulled away from him. The kiss was short, but still had lasted long enough to cause havoc in his body.   
"It tastes just wonderful," Liz said as she pulled away slightly, still remaining close to his body.   
"What does?" Max teased, his voice as dazed as his mind.   
"Hmm... I can't really decide," Liz contorted. "Maybe I should check out the alternatives again."   
  
"Well, I think that could be arranged," Max said, his voice growing husky and deep as he slowly put down the spoon on the counter against which Liz had her back pressed. "I really should consult with the judges first, but maybe I can make an exception..."   
Liz put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. "Please do," she breathed.   
"Let me see what I can do," he whispered, bringing his head down to taste her neck. Her eyes drifted closed at his gentle assault on the sensitive skin of her neck.   
"Please don't stop doing it," Liz murmured, her hands slowly moving down his chest. She giggled as she reached his apron.   
"What?" His voice vibrated against her skin, making shivers of pleasure run down her spine.   
"The apron really has to go," she answered.   
"You don't like my apron?" Max asked with mock hurt in his voice.   
  
Liz hands crept around his waist and she started tugging on the knot. "I like you better without the apron."   
"You do, huh?" Max asked, his lips slowly trailing up her jaw.   
"Uh-huh," Liz murmured, catching his lips with hers. She could feel the energy build up in her again and Max's increasingly restless movements proved that he could feel it too. His tongue trailed her bottom lip, before taking it fully into his mouth. She whimpered and buried her fingers in his dark hair, pulling him closer. She barely registered as he lifted her up on the counter; she was too preoccupied with his tongue entering her mouth. But she could feel him pressing up against her as he came to stand between her thighs.   
  
The annoying sound that went off close by was barely enough to interrupt them as it failed miserably in attracting their full attention.   
Max used his hands to push her more fully against his chest, his lips adoring hers. "Liz..." he moaned. "The phone."   
"What?" Her one-syllable utterance made her lips softly vibrate against his. Max hands found their way beneath her sweater. She gasped in his mouth as she felt his hands against her naked skin. The unexpected intimacy made feelings she'd never felt before course through her body. The feelings were so strong that she had to lean forward and bury her forehead against the soft surface of his shirt and try to calm herself down. That's when the ringing of the phone managed to reach her ears.   
"Max..."   
  
His name caught in her throat as Max's mouth closed around her earlobe.   
"It's...ringing..." Liz gasped.   
"Uh-huh," Max mumbled. God, she tasted good. Her skin was so warm under his lips, so soft.   
Liz angled her head in accordance with his tongue and she shivered with pleasure as the cool air hit her warm skin where Max's lips had left a mark. Her mind mostly focused on what Max's mouth was doing to her skin and the sensations he caused as her hand searched its way along the counter towards her cell phone that she had left on the counter. She didn't know how she managed to find the connect button and get the phone to her ear, but she managed.   
"He-hello," she stuttered, Max's tongue moving over the sensitive skin at the hollow at the base of her throat.   
  
"Lizzie?"   
"Yes," Liz answered.   
"Um...this is Alex. Sorry, it just didn't sound like you," Alex said cheerily on the other end of the line.   
"No," Liz said, not having much clue to what Alex was talking about.   
"Are you alone?" Alex asked suspiciously, "You sound a little...strange."   
"No...I'm with...Max!" The last word came out in gasp as Max's hands brushed against her stomach.   
"Um... I'm not really sure if I should be talking to you then," Alex said, feeling highly uncomfortable. Couldn't Liz at least _pretend_ that she was alone? Did she have to be so damn honest? He didn't even want to think about what he might be interrupting! Oh no, Alex! Don't go there!   
  
"Can I...call you later?" Liz asked.   
Alex really wanted to say yes, but he also really needed to talk to her. "Is it okay if we talk right now?"   
"It's...a bad time," Liz said. Her eyes drifted close as Max's lips traveled up her throat to trace her jaw line, placing soft deliberate kisses over the cheek that was free for him to explore. He couldn't get enough of her.   
"It's my dad."   
Liz snapped her head away from Max and gently pushed him away. Max looked at her in dazed confusion. What had happened? He had been in la-la-Liz-land and then suddenly he had been painfully thrown out.   
Liz jumped down from the counter. "It's Alex," Liz said, catching Max's eyes. "I need to talk to him."   
  
"But..."   
"I really need to talk to him," Liz emphasized.   
Max nodded. "Okay. I'll just continue with the dinner."   
"Thanks," Liz smiled, "I'll be right back with you."   
He returned her smile and watched her walk into the living room.   
"Alex, what happened?" He heard her talk with her friend in the living room as he finished getting dinner ready.   
He set the table in the living room while throwing occasional glances in Liz's direction. She was completely focused on the person on the other end of the line. He could probably drop a plate in the floor and she wouldn't notice.   
He was just about to turn of the stove, as he heard Liz say good-bye to Alex. He peeked into the living room as Liz went silent. He found her with her head leaning against her hands.   
  
"Liz? You okay?"   
She didn't answer, so he stepped into the living room and started to carefully walk towards her. "Liz?"   
She snapped her head up in his direction and gave him a tired smile. "Hey..."   
"Hey," he said, "You okay?"   
"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just Alex's dad. He's just..." She shook her head at the loss of words to describe the sick person Alex dad was.   
"You wanna talk about it?" Max asked, stepping closer to her.   
  
"Not really. It just hurts me to hear Alex in so much pain," Liz said, her voice trailing off. Max got the impression that there was something she wasn't telling him.   
"And..."   
She met his eyes and got up from the sofa. "Nothing," she smiled, and lightly pecked his cheek when she brushed past him. Max turned around to find her plopping a piece of cucumber in her mouth.   
"Then, let's eat," he said.   
"Yes, it smells just wonderful," Liz said and sat down in one of the chairs. 

---------------------------------------------------

  
  
It had been a couple of eventless days. Liz had spent a lot of time with Max's friends and she more or less felt like one in the group. It hadn't taken her long to realize that Max and his friends were a tight-knit group. They hardly let anyone else in. Maria was the one of them that was most open to strangers, but even she stayed somewhat on guard. Michael liked to charm girls, but strangely enough he didn't open up. Despite the compliments and charming words Michael threw in her direction, he was the one who was the least willing to let her in. She felt his suspicious gazes on her when he thought she wasn't looking. He didn't trust her and several times during her stay in Roswell had she wondered why they were all so mistrusting. On some occasions she had caught them sitting with their heads close together, whispering. But as soon as they had become aware of her presence they had clammed up. It was really weird. If she didn't know better she would say they all shared a big secret that would be life-threatening if it were to get out. But that couldn't be it. What kind of secret would a couple of people in a small town in New Mexico hide?   
  
Then there was Isabel. Liz had thought that they had laid a foundation for a friendship in New York, but Isabel had been like another person as soon as she had sat her foot in Roswell. It was as if being on homeground was making Isabel more fearful, more on her toes. Her smiles weren't as natural any more, her laughter wasn't as carefree as before. It was as if an invisible weight was weighing her down and it seemed to be weighing down on Max and Michael too. Well, Maria as well, but with her it wasn't as evident.   
  
"Are you ready to go?"   
Liz turned her head towards Max.   
  
Max. He was just as closed up as Isabel and Michael. She had tried to share some things about her life with him and she had probably told him more if she had been able to remember more. She trusted him with her life and she wanted him to know things about her. But she also wanted to know things about him and as she returned to all the conversations they've had she realized that he had never really revealed anything personal. Sure, he had told her about pets and bizarre eating habits, but not anything substantial, anything true. He had effectively steered the conversation away from him and she wondered if it was intentional or not. Why did he feel that he had to hide things from her? Didn't he trust her?   
  
"Liz?"   
She looked up and found Max's smiling face watching her. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"   
"Are you ready to go?" Max repeated.   
"Go? Where?"   
"The CrashDown... Or maybe you don't want to go. Are you feeling okay? You seem a little distant."   
"Everything's just fine," Liz smiled.   
He looked at her for a couple of seconds like he was trying to find another truth behind her words. "Okay," he reached out and took her hand and pulled her up from her seat, "Then let's go." 

-----------------------------------------------

  
  
Max and Liz walked into the CrashDown, their hands linked together. Their eyes immediately sought out Michael and Maria in their regular booth.   
"Hey guys," Max greeted.   
"Hey Max, Liz," Maria smiled warmly and scooted to the side to leave room. Liz took the seat beside Maria, while Max sat down beside Michael.   
"Hey Liz, there was someone here looking for you," Michael said.   
"Really?" Liz reached across the table and took the menu.   
"Yes," Maria nodded, "he was very eager to meet you. He said he was your friend."   
The only friend she could think of was Alex. But what would Alex be doing here? It was a little long trip to travel for a social call.   
"He didn't tell you his name?" Liz asked. She couldn't help but being unnerved about the fact that someone had come looking for her, at a place where she had almost not told anyone she was going to be...   
"No, that's stupid," Maria said, "We forgot to ask him."   
"Did he say anything else so that I can somehow figure out who he is? I mean, did he say where I could find him?"   
  
"No, not really. He was just asking if we knew Elizabeth Parker and said that he would find you. He seemed pretty upset."   
Liz frowned. "That's weird."   
"Do you have any idea who it might've been?" Max asked.   
"Remember Alex?"   
"Oh, your friend from the university?" Maria asked.   
"Yeah, that's him," Liz smiled at the memory of her friend, "That's the only one I can think of."   
"Who's that?"   
Four heads turned towards the voice.   
"Alex," Liz answered as she watched Isabel slide in beside Max.   
"Alex...?" Isabel said slowly. Why did that name sound familiar?   
"You met him once. My old friend."   
  
Isabel squinted with her eyes in concentration and then her whole face lit up. "Right. He was the tall guy who couldn't speak."   
Liz smiled. "Yeah, he was a little tongue-tied."   
"May this have something to do with Isabel's otherwordly charm?" Maria teased.   
Max, Isabel and Michael's heads jerked towards Maria at her statement and Liz observed how Maria literally seemed to want to sink through the floor.   
Isabel was the one to first regain her composure. Liz could feel Max's nervous glances at her, but all she could do was to study Maria's downcast eyes while she fidgeted with her napkin.   
Isabel cleared her throat. "Well, who could resist me?"   
"I could," Michael answered.   
  
Liz sat silent and watched as the interactions flared alive again, but there was a new tentativeness surrounding her new friends. As if they were watching their every word and Max's nervous glances in her direction didn't help to smother her confusion and curiosity about what had just happened.   
"Hi! Welcome to the CrashDown. Can I get you guys anything?"   
Liz looked up to see a red-haired girl standing next to their table, wearing one of those turquoise uniforms.   
"Uh...a Will Smith Burger," Michael said, "And a snapple."   
"Blackberry pie and water," Maria piped up. She still locked slightly shell-shocked.   
"Nothing for me, thanks," Isabel said.   
"I'll have the Saturn Rings and a cherry coke," Max said.   
  
"Predictable as always," Isabel snickered, "When are you going to order something else, dear brother?"   
"When you start ordering food, dear sister," Max retorted.   
"I'm watching my weight. Don't you know how much oil those things you're eating every day are drenched in?"   
"You could just order a salad," Michael pointed out.   
"I'm not hungry," Isabel said with a tone that announced she considered the topic closed.   
"Miss?"   
Liz was still watching the group, her thoughts miles away.   
"Liz?"   
"Huh?" she snapped her head up to find everyone staring at her. She quickly turned her head to the left and found the waitress looking at her with a semi-bored expression, drilling her pencil impatiently against the ordering-pad.   
"Oh. I'll just um..." Liz quickly skimmed through the orders, "I'll just have um...the Intergalactic Special."   
  
"And you want something to drink with that?"   
"Cherry coke."   
"Okay then," the waitress closed the ordering-book, "I'll be right back with your drinks."   
As Liz returned her gaze away from the waitress she found herself in the middle of the other's attention. It made her feel very uneasy. The only thing soothing the intimidating looks Michael kept shooting in her direction was the concerned look Max was giving her.   
"So, this Alex," Isabel spoke up, "How well do you know him?"   
Liz took a deep breath and looked at Isabel, trying her best to act like everything was okay because it seemed as if the others were going for that game and she wasn't going to be the one to not play.   
"Very well. He has been my best friend for ages, but we lost contact for a few years."   
"Why?" Michael asked.   
  
Where did that charm disappear to? Liz wondered. Was it just her or had the temperature in the room just plummeted below zero?   
"Ehm...I guess we just stopped calling," Liz said evasively.   
"Do you trust him?" Michael asked.   
"Michael," Max said.   
Liz looked at Max at his tone of voice.   
"What?" Michael demanded.   
"Can I speak with you for a sec?" When Michael only glared at him, he added, "In private."   
Michael gave Liz another look before he moved after Max away from the booth.   
"Just ignore Michael. He's just being rude. He's like that to most people." Maria's reassuring voice couldn't stop the discomfort that was seeping through Liz. It wasn't just Michael who was acting funny, it was Isabel too. Despite the fact that Michael was more intimidating, it was Isabel's cool eyes that made her shiver the most. It was scary to see someone you thought you'd known transform into a totally different person. She had thought that she could count Isabel as a friend but now she wasn't even sure Isabel trusted her. Just like Max didn't seem to trust her.   
  
  
Michael folded his arms across his chest with a frustrated sigh. "What's up, Maxwell?"   
"What do you think you're doing?"   
Stubbornly, Michael met Max's angry eyes and shrugged. "Nothing."   
"You can't treat Liz like that!"   
"I'm just asking her a couple of questions."   
"No, Michael. You are not just asking her a couple of questions. You are cross-examining her! You are scaring her."   
"I don't trust her."   
"You can trust her."   
"How do you know?"   
"Because I know her," Max answered.   
"But I don't."   
"That's because you aren't letting her in," Max said.   
  
Michael raised his eyebrows. "And you are?"   
Max tensed and took a step back from Michael. His silence was answer enough to Michael.   
"Didn't think so," Michael said.   
Max sighed. "I want to tell her-"   
Michael's eyes grew wide and flared with anger. "What?! No, Maxwell!" He lowered his voice. "You can't tell her - ever! We don't tell anyone, remember?"   
"Wouldn't it be better if she knew?"   
"No," Michael said adamantly.   
"We had to tell Maria and I don't regret doing that. And I don't think you do either."   
"Maria's different," Michael mumbled.   
"How's she different?"   
"You had to heal her. You had no other choice but to tell her. You don't have to tell Liz."   
  
"I hate lying to her, Michael. I can't tell her anything about my past, because I'm afraid she will puzzle the clues together and figure it out."   
"Then don't tell her anything about your past. It's as simple as that."   
Max sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "I've wanted to tell her since the first time I met her."   
Michael stared at him in shock. "Are you crazy? You can't tell her, Max. You can't. Do you think she will still want to stick around after she has found out the truth? Do you think she'll want to continue kissing you?"   
Max swallowed and closed his eyes. Michael was right. Liz was going to freak out and leave him. She was going to look at him like he was a monster.   
  
"If we're lucky she will just run away and never want to see you again. But what if she runs straight to the police or FBI and reveals that her boyfriend is an extraterrestrial and willingly hands over the address to your house?"   
"Liz wouldn't do that," Max objected.   
"You don't know that," Michael said, "Isabel told me that she was weird."   
"She's not wei-"   
"She was unconscious for several hours. She's been having nightmares. She has this thing about rain. For all we know, she could be a crazy person and we don't know how she'll react."   
Why was this so hard? His heart trusted Liz completely. In his heart he knew that she would accept him even if he told her the truth. But his mind, and the deep-rooted fear of being exposed, told him otherwise. He had a responsibility to Isabel and Michael. Even Maria. It wasn't up to him to tell their secret. They all had to agree upon it. However, did he really want Liz to know? Wouldn't she be in greater danger if he did? Maybe it was for the best. Maybe it was for the best if he just let Liz go and let her go back to her uncomplicated life as it was before she met him.   
  
"I won't tell her," Max sighed, "But you have to be nicer to her. Your behavior is just going to make her more suspicious."   
"Right," Michael huffed.   
Michael stepped away and strode back to the booth, but Max stood frozen in his place, watching Liz with sad eyes. How was he supposed to tell her? How was he going to tell her that she couldn't be a part of his life?

TBC…


	36. Chapter 36

_Hi! I'm very sorry for abandoning you like that. Our internet connection died on me and there was a lot at work…well, let's just say that real life took over more than I intended it to do._

_Thank you so much for the feedback!!! It means so much to me to hear your opinion. Believe it or not, it helps in my writing to hear what you think, because either it just motivates me to write even more, or it gets my brain working… So, thank you!_

_Due to my absence, I'm posting four chapters for you now :)_

**Chapter 36**   
  
Maria propped up her head in her hands and looked at Max as he sat down beside his sister. "Max, what's this your sister has been whispering in my ear about you leaving us?" Maria asked.   
"I'm not leaving you," Max said a little taken aback by the statement. He shot a glance in Liz's direction. Had she told them that he wanted to follow her to New York? Because as it seemed right now he wouldn't be able to leave. He couldn't put her in more danger by spending more time around him.   
"From what I've heard you are," Maria said a proud twinkle in her eye.   
"Nothing is decided yet," Max objected, still thinking that Maria was talking about him going to New York City.   
"Of course it isn't. You still have to mail the applications, but I'm certain that you will get in."   
Applications? Max sighed in relief. She was talking about him applying to the university.   
"Yeah, Max. There's nothing wrong with your grades. I'm sure you will be accepted," Isabel said.   
  
He glanced at Liz and met her smiling eyes which made a warmth spread inside of him. The warmth was almost immediately replaced with the coldness the awareness of what he had to do brought. Give her up. How could he ever do that now that he had got a glimpse of how wonderful life could be with her? How would he be able to go on without her?   
"Thank you," Max said, a blush rising on his cheeks.   
This was a boring topic of conversation, Michael thought. "Hey, have you guys seen that new movie?"   
"What movie?" Maria asked.   
As Maria and Michael started to talk about the new movie that had just recently been released, Liz's thoughts started to wander to the person who had been looking for her. Had it been Alex? And if it had been, why had he gone all the way to Roswell to find her? She couldn't help but wonder what could've happened. She once again regretted that she didn't have his cell phone number. Why hadn't he called her?   
Isabel's agitated voice broke her out of her reverie. "Max?"   
Liz looked up and found Max staring off into the distance.   
"Max, what's wrong?" Maria asked.   
  
Liz let her gaze travel between Max, Isabel and Maria. What was going on? Max's eyes were open, but it seemed like he wasn't registering anything. His otherwise warm and expressive eyes were completely vacant and emotionless. From the worried expression of his friends, Liz got the feeling that they had tried to bring him back to reality for some time now.   
"Let's get him out of here," Michael ordered.   
"What's going on?" Liz asked, but she received no answer. Maria pushed on her to move and in confusion Liz stood up, hardly blinking as she watched the others. Without any words being spoken, Isabel put her arm around Max's waist and dragged him to his feet. Liz tried to step forward to help, but Maria gently pushed her to the side. Liz wasn't sure Maria was even aware that she had pushed Liz; she seemed completely focused on Max. Michael stood up after Max and put his arm around Max's waist, helping Isabel support Max as they started moving him towards the backroom.   
"Maria? What's wrong?"   
  
Liz trailed after, worried out of her mind for Max. There was something deeply wrong. She could feel it in the core of her being. A coldness had started to spread within her and she didn't even dare to think what it meant and how she knew that it somehow was connected to Max.   
Maria swiftly walked past Michael and Isabel supporting a now shaking Max and pushed the swinging doors to the Employees Only section open.   
Liz walked behind them. She didn't even consider if it might not be her place to be there. Something was wrong with Max and every fiber of her being was telling her to be there for him and help him. Like he had been there for her on a countless number of occasions since they've met.   
  
She never considered that maybe she wasn't welcome.   
  
"Get her out of here!"   
Michael's rough voice vibrated through her whole body putting a halt to her movements. She felt Maria's hand on her arm.   
"Liz, you have to get out of here."   
"No," Liz objected.   
"Liz, you can't be here."   
"Lay him down."   
"Oh my God, Michael. He's shaking. What are we going to do?"   
"Maria! Get over here!"   
"Liz, please. You can't be here."   
Liz's eyes took in the commotion in the room. "Maria. Don't make me leave. I want to help. What's wrong with him? Is it some kind of epileptic seizure?"   
"Maria!! Get her out of here!"   
  
"We'll talk later, Liz, okay? Now, please, leave us alone!"   
Liz anxiously looked from Max's now convulsing body where Michael and Isabel had positioned him on the couch and to Maria's pleading face.   
"I want to help, Maria. Please let me help."   
But she knew that the decision had already been made. She was an outsider and she wasn't welcome anymore. The others didn't know her well enough to trust her with Max's life.   
"Liz..."   
"Don't you understand?! Get out!!" Michael yelled.   
Liz met his eyes head on and they made her shiver, freezing her to the bones. His eyes said it all and with a final look on Max's unresponsive body she turned around and walked out of the restaurant. 

-------------------------------------------

  
  
Max ascended the stairs to his apartment.   
  
_"LIZ!!" __  
"Max?"   
The silence was deafening, thick and suffocating. Clogging his airwaves.   
"Where's Liz? I need to get to Liz."   
"Liz isn't here. What happened, Maxwell?"   
He quickly sat up, the room around him spinning as a cause of the sudden movement.   
"Why isn't she here?"   
"Max, listen to me. We sent Liz home. She's okay."   
He turned towards Maria's soft and comforting voice. "How do you know? Why did you send her away?"   
"She didn't belong here," Michael answered matter-of-factly.   
"I have to find her."   
The panic had lessened, draining with the entrance into reality, but it still held an iron hand around his heart.   
"No, Max. You have to rest. Did you have another premonition?"   
Max turned his head towards his sister as his legs moved over the edge of the couch. "Yes, and I have to get to Liz."_   
  
He pressed the door-handle down, only to find it locked. Why had she locked the door?   
  
_"She's okay. She's in your apartment. You have to stay and rest." __  
He moved out of Maria's grip and stood up, swaying on his feet. Liz's safety was all that mattered. Nothing else. He didn't have time to rest.   
"Maria? Can you give me a ride?"   
"Max, shouldn't you be laying down? You're burning up..."   
"I'm fine," Max brushed her concerns off and staggered towards the swinging doors, "Liz could be in danger. I have to get to her."   
Even though he wasn't looking, he could picture his friends giving each other talking glances behind his back, communicating what they should do.   
"Okay, Max. I'll take you," Maria agreed._   
  
Max didn't even bother to look for his key. He just waved his hand over the lock and the clicking sound of the lock unlocking was the cue for him to quickly open the door.   
"Liz?"   
"Is she here?"   
He didn't even turn his head to look at Maria. He knew that she was feeling guilty for having sent Liz away, but he didn't have time for that right now.   
"Liz?"   
He walked into the poorly lit apartment. He let out a breath in relief as he saw her lying on her stomach on the couch, her hand dangling over the edge with a book lying underneath it. She was asleep. He heard Maria's relieved sigh as he approached Liz and kneeled in front of her.   
"Liz...?"   
"Max?" she mumbled.   
  
He brushed a tendril of her off her forehead. "Yeah, it's me."   
She started to stretch her legs, but then stopped in the middle of the motion, her body tensing. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up. Max met her eyes for the fraction of a second before she flung her arms around him.   
"Are you okay?" she whispered.   
He closed his eyes when he could feel for himself that she was okay. "I am now."   
"I'm so sorry that I left you there-"   
"You're not the one to apologize, Liz. I've gotten the impression that the others forced you to leave."   
"I didn't belong there. I don't belong _here_."   
Max moved out of her arms to look at her. "What are you talking about?"   
"I don't belong here, Max. Not with you or with your friends. I belong in New York."   
"No, Liz-"   
"I've been thinking that for a while now, but today just proved it. I'm an intruder. I don't belong in your group. Your group is already so strong and it's really a beautiful thing. I wished I had friends like that. But I don't and I can't have yours."   
Max frowned. "Liz, where's all this coming from? I _want_ you in my life and I'm sorry if Michael behaved like an idiot towards you today but they are just a little..."   
  
"Mistrustful," Liz filled in, "And I don't blame you. I don't really consider it to be a bad thing. You have something to hide and you'll hide it at all costs."   
Max stared at her. Did she know? Had she finally figured everything out?   
"Liz, I'm sorry if we made you feel unwanted," to her surprise, Liz looked up to find Maria standing next to them, "Believe me, that was never our intention. Right, Max?"   
Max just nodded. What was happening? He felt like she was slipping away from him. But wasn't that what he had wanted all this time? Actually, this was the way out he had been searching for. Now he could let her go so that she could go back and live her life in safety. But as soon as those thoughts had entered his mind, the remains of his premonition slammed into him. Once again reminding him that something was going to happen to Liz.   
"And you're right," Maria continued, "We _are_ mistrustful. It's just that we aren't used to letting anyone else in. But we want to let you in, Liz."   
"I'm sorry, Maria. I know that you mean well and I like you...a lot. I just don't think that Michael and Isabel share your opinion. They don't want a new addition to the group."   
  
"Liz, don't listen to them," Max tried, "You just have to give them some time to get used to you."   
Liz shook her head. "They don't _want_ to let me in."   
Max was looking at her in confusion. She was letting her gaze flicker between his face, her hands and Maria. She didn't really want to talk about this in Maria's presence.   
Liz let her eyes settle on Max's face and tried to ignore the feelings of guilt that she was getting from Maria. "And neither do you."   
"I want you here," Max objected.   
"Not that," Liz said softly. She paused. "You don't trust me either."   
"Yes I do," Max said baffled that she would even think such a thing.   
"You do? Then why don't you trust me with the truth?"   
Max's eyes nervously moved towards Maria, a movement that didn't escape Liz's notice.   
"I-I- I've told you...things," Max stuttered.   
"No, you haven't. I don't know anything about your childhood, except for what your parents told me at dinner. I don't know why you sometimes wake up screaming. I don't know how, when you didn't write down my phone number, you still remember it after only hearing it once. I don't know how you were able to get into my apartment without a key."   
  
"But...but you were asleep," Max said weakly. It was the night Alex had been at Liz's place and they had watched a movie together. Max had arrived after Liz had fallen asleep on the couch and he had 'let himself in'. She had been half asleep the entire time he had talked to her and then he had carried her from the uncomfortable couch to her bed. But he had told her that she had left the door unlocked and she had seemed to believe him.   
"Almost," Liz said. She felt as if the air in the room was being sucked out. Some part of her had hoped that her suspicions about Max had been wrong and that he just wasn't that keen on opening up. But his suspicious behavior was only more thoroughly confirming that he was in fact hiding something. And it scared her. It made her realize that she didn't really know this man at all.   
"There are so many things that don't add up," Liz continued, "I have to admit that I'm not the best at opening up to people either, but I let you in. I trusted you with my life, with me. Why can't you do the same? What is so bad about you that you have to hide it from me?"   
"Liz," Max swallowed, "Please, it's too dangerous."   
Liz turned her head towards Maria. "You are all in on it, right? On this secret?"   
Maria dropped her eyes to her foot that was fidgeting with the edge of the carpet. Her silence was answer enough. She turned her eyes back to Max.   
  
"Max, what you and I have..." she cast a glance in Maria's direction but decided that she could as well hear it too, "...experienced these last couple of days. It's been... greater than anything I've ever experienced before. I feel things, Max. I feel things not only for you but also _from_ you. When we kiss, it's like... a new world opens up. You. But I only receive a ball of emotions that I can't figure out how to decipher. I don't know why you are so afraid that you are going to hurt me. I don't know why you are feeling guilty from just being in the same room as I am. I don't know why you sometimes kiss me with a desperation like it's the last time you're going to see me. Max... I think that..." she shook her head, "...no..." She was going to say that she was falling in love with him. But she had been in love with him since they first met. If it even was love. She didn't know. She didn't know what she was feeling. She just knew that it was something big and that alone scared her so much. She felt as though she were destroying something as she let more and more words tumble over her lips. Nevertheless, she couldn't go on like this. It was hurting too much and to tell Max that she was in love with him just seconds before she would leave him – if he didn't tell her the truth... She couldn't hurt him like that.   
  
"I..." She sighed, "I want to be sure that I can help you when you have another mysterious episode. Because they aren't seizures, are they?" She didn't expect to give her an answer and she didn't get one either. She bit her lower lip. "What if it's just us two when you experience another seizure and I can't help you? I need to know what to do, but I can't know that if you aren't letting me in on what's going on. But you aren't going to do that, are you?"   
Max once again looked at Maria and Liz sighed in frustration. "Max. Look at me."   
Max's worried eyes turned back to her and she swallowed back tears as she saw the sheen of tears in his eyes. "Say something," she begged.   
Max held her gaze, looking at her as if he were trying to memorize every detail of her face. There was a look of finality in his eyes. As if he knew that this might be the last time he saw her.   
"Please, don't leave, Liz."   
Liz moved her hand to cradle his cheek. "Then tell me Max. Let me in."   
"I can't," he croaked.   
  
She nodded slowly. "Then I have to leave."   
Max started to shake his head. "No, Liz. Please. Something bad is going to happen to you."   
Liz stood up. "What, Max?" Her voice was tired.   
Max looked at her in despair. "I don't know," he confessed, "And that's the truth, Liz. I don't know what's going to happen. I just know that something is going to happen to you and I have to be there."   
"Would it be so bad to tell me, Max? Isn't my life worth more than your secret?"   
Max took her hand. "Yes, it is. That's why I can't tell you. I have to keep you safe from my secret."   
Liz stared at him and then turned to look at Maria who was looking at them with tears streaming down her face. "Maria?"   
She could see that Maria wanted to tell her. That she wanted to make her stay. To have Max and Liz together.   
"It's not my secret to tell," Maria whispered, her eyes pleading Liz for forgiveness.   
"Okay," Liz said slowly and disentangled her hand from Max's death-grip. She moved away from Max's sorrowful eyes and Maria's pleading ones.   
  
"I'll just call the airports and book a flight."   
Max looked like he wanted to protest, but when he didn't say anything Liz moved into the bedroom and closed the door behind her. There she fell on the bed and dissolved in tears.

TBC…


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**   
  
  
"Why couldn't I tell her?" Max asked Maria.   
Maria squeezed his hand. "Max. I know what you want me to tell you, but I can't tell you the things you want to hear."   
"Tell me anyway," Max said. One of the things he'd always appreciated about Maria was her honesty. He always knew where they stood, because she always told him what she thought. If he had done something good she told him, and if he had messed up she let him know that too.   
"I know that you like Liz. No…like is the wrong word. Anyone would only have to take one look at you two together to see that you are in love with each other. Even Michael can see it. That's why he's being such a jerk. He's afraid he'll lose you. You are the one we have always been able to count on, Max. You were the responsible one and you kept the other three of us on track."   
Max sighed. "What's with the past tense?"   
  
"That was before you left to follow that premonition to New York. After that you changed, and I guess that scared us all. I got over it but Isabel and Michael are still trying to cope. You have to see their side of the story. You've always planned ahead. You more or less abhorred impulsive actions and then you suddenly just disappear in the middle of the night, without a neatly numbered list of your plan of actions or even a note. You scared the hell out of your sister and you pissed Michael off _because_ that was the last thing they expected you to do. They have these expectations of you that you have to live up to, otherwise they don't know what to do. It's the expectations they are trusting. I know that you would be freaked out if Michael one day started to act very responsible and very calm. I know I would. I would probably start checking his temperature and fill him with anesthetic. Anyway, the thing is that they don't know if they can trust what you're doing anymore. They are afraid that in the flip of the moment you will tell Liz everything about them. They don't know Liz the way you do and let's be honest. Do _you_ know her as well as you would like to?"   
  
"No," Max said, "But I never expected to know a person very well after only a couple of weeks anyway."   
"That's my point, Max. You might be in love, but you don't know how she would react if you told her that you were an alien. You have to understand that Michael and Isabel are afraid of what will happen if she doesn't react the way you _want_ her to react."   
"I understand that," Max said, "I do. It's just... Even though I don't know what she likes in her coffee or even if she drinks coffee at all, I know _her_."   
"Max, you don't _know_ a person just because you fall in love with her-"   
"No, but Maria. This is different. I don't know if it's an alien thing-"   
"Probably."   
"But I can see inside of her. I can feel her. Do I make any sense at all?"   
"Not really. But go on."   
  
"I can feel her feelings. I can feel how she feels when I'm kissing her."   
"But this only happens when you're kissing?"   
"Yes, it must be our heightened feelings at that moment or something."   
"Aha," Maria contemplated, "Do you know what she's thinking?"   
"No, only what she's feeling. I don't know the thoughts behind the feelings."   
"And does she feel the same way?"   
"Evidently. At least that's what I understood from what she was telling me earlier."   
Maria paused, trying to sort her thoughts. "Max. I'm not saying that I don't think you're not in love with Liz, because I really do think you are. But... If you know how she feels about you when you kiss her, why didn't you tell her?"   
"I couldn't."   
"Why?"   
Max leaned back in the couch, covering his face with his palms in a frustrated sigh. "Because I want to protect her."   
"Exactly. You are only doing this for her."   
"But we don't know if I'm making the right decision. My premonitions are telling me that I should watch over her. That something bad is going to happen. Should I go against my instincts?"   
  
"No, you shouldn't," Maria said adamantly.   
Max removed his hands and looked at her. "So...?"   
"So?"   
Max sighed. "Help me out here, Maria. Did I do the right thing?"   
"I don't know. It's the responsible part of you that is colliding with your instincts and before now that has been a good thing because if you'd followed your instincts then you would be in a laboratory somewhere because you blasted some guy in high school. But now... I don't know. Maybe it's time for you to follow your instincts."   
"She doesn't trust me."   
"No, _you_ don't trust _her_. She told you that herself. She trusts you. She's just incredibly hurt. Weren't you hurt when you tried to get her to open up to you about her nightmares and she wasn't letting you?"   
"Of course I was."   
"It's the same thing. You are both trying to help each other, trying to look out for each other. You both care so much but you aren't even meeting halfway. You are making a mess of something that could be really beautiful."   
  
"So, what are you saying?"   
"That you should follow her to New York."   
"What about Michael and Isabel?"   
"They'll come around. I'll take care of them."   
"If I go to New York I earn Liz an apology and the truth."   
"Yes, you do," Maria said seriously.   
"Michael and Isabel are going to kill me," Max groaned.   
"Well, it might be a couple of tough days," Maria grimaced, "but just follow your heart about Liz. If you think that she can handle the truth and that she is probably safer if she _does_ know, then tell her and she probably won't disappoint you. Michael and Isabel just have to learn not to be so pig-headed."   
"You really think I should go?"   
"Yes," Maria stated matter-of-factly.   
"It's the right thing." It was not a question, but a truth he had known for some while.   
"If your heart tells you that it's the right thing, then it is," Maria said.   
Max rose from the couch and put his arms around Maria. "Thank you, Maria," he hugged her close, "Thank you for always listening to my crap."   
"You welcome," Maria said, touched, "I would do anything for you. You know that, right?"   
"Right back atcha," Max mumbled. 

---------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Mr. Smith? Hi, this is Elizabeth."   
"Hi, Elizabeth! It's so nice to hear from you. How's the vacation going?"   
"Fine, it's been great. I took a trip to Roswell, New Mexico."   
"Oh, that sounds like a nice trip. Did you meet many aliens?"   
Liz smiled. "Some...but only plastic ones."   
Mr. Smith chuckled. "Did you visit someone there?"   
"Um... yeah. You know that man that came to my office a couple of times?"   
"The man with the epileptic seizures?"   
"Yes, that's him. He's the one I visited. He comes from Roswell."   
"That sounds really great. I hope you had time to relax."   
"Yes, I did, and now I'm back."   
"Already?" The surprise was clear in his voice.   
"Well, I got restless and I really needed to start working again."   
"How are you feeling, Elizabeth? Are you feeling better? You were in a pretty bad shape when you left."   
"I guess the desert air was good for me. I'm feeling really relaxed and rested and ready to go back to work. Do you have something for me?"   
  
"Well, you can always continue with your old assignments. Or I have this new assignment. I was going to give it to David, but maybe you can take it instead. You have more experience."   
"What is it about?"   
"Denman Constructions is building a new apartment complex in town and we are going to plan the whole thing."   
"That's great!" The company usually only got one house to plan, not a whole apartment complex. This was big and it was too tempting for Liz to say no.   
"What do you say? Are you game?"   
"Definitely," Liz answered.   
"Great! Can you come over tomorrow so that we can look over the prospects?"   
"I'll be there," Liz smiled. 

----------------------------------------------

  
  
"Why Max?"   
"I just have to go. I have to see Liz again, mom."   
"I don't understand. Why didn't she stay in here in Roswell? I thought she was going to stay the whole week."   
"Something happened."   
"Did you have a fight?"   
"Something like that. Mom, I just need to fix things between us. I can't leave it like this."   
"Can't you just call her on the phone?"   
"I can't tell her what I need to tell her over the phone," Max answered, "I need to go there, mom. Can't you understand that?"   
His mom reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "Of course I can understand that, Max. I just don't want you to travel to New York and back to Roswell all the time. And what about the university? Are you still applying?"   
"Of course, mom. I'm just going there to sort some things out with Liz. I'm not moving there or anything."   
The image of Max and Liz in an intimate eye-locking moment flashed through Mrs. Evans mind and she gave Max an easy smile. "Of course you aren't. I'm just worried about you. You're an adult now and I just have to learn how to let you go. Just be careful, okay?"   
"I always am," Max smiled, "Thank you, mom. For always looking out for me."   
Mrs. Evans smiled warmly. "It's my pleasure." 

-------------------------------------------------

  
  
She felt weird.   
  
She had felt weird ever since she had left Roswell behind. And Max. Her inner state was a mess and she was having trouble getting control of her feelings, which was something at she had always excelled. She had to pull it together.   
  
She walked up to the office door and lightly knocked her knuckles against the wood.   
"Yes?"   
Opening the door, she poked her head inside to find her boss sitting behind his impressive desk. "Hi Mr. Smith."   
Mr. Smith's face cracked in a big smile and he quickly rose from his seat. "Hi Elizabeth," he walked up to Liz and pulled her into a fatherly hug, "Welcome back!"   
"Thank you," Liz whispered, mocking his gesture by gasping for air.   
"I'm so glad to have you back and so are our customers." He let her go and Elizabeth watched in fascination of how quickly he changed into a businessman. "Come here."   
Liz stepped up beside him and accepted the documents he was placing in his hands.   
"These are the ideas from the company, but they are really giving us a free hand for this."   
"That's great," Liz sifted through the papers, blueprints of the apartments already forming inside her head.   
  
"You're already forming ideas, aren't you?"   
Liz nodded with a self-conscious smile. "I couldn't help but start planning yesterday after I got off the phone with you and it seems as if my planning mostly corresponds to what the customer is asking for."   
"I knew you wouldn't disappoint me," Mr. Smith said.   
He watched her look through the notes and the sketchy blueprints. "Since it's such a big project and it's being built downtown, we will have to look at the construction site before starting to map too much out."   
"Right," Liz said. That was only normal. The architecture needed to blend in with the surrounding buildings as well.   
"I was thinking we could take a look at it later this afternoon."   
"Sure, that's fine with me," Liz agreed.   
"Great. I'll be at a meeting until then though, so you just go there without me and I'll meet up with you as soon as the meeting is over."   
Liz smiled. "I think I can handle that."   
"Great," Mr. Smith moved around the desk and sat down again.   
"I should get working then." Liz closed the file and looked up at Mr. Smith.   
"You do that. Just tell me if you think it's too much. We don't want a repeat of what happened before."   
"I won't overwork myself, I assure you."   
"Good." 

------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Flight 230 to New York has been canceled. Passengers are asked to please report to the front desk. Flight 230 to New York has been canceled. Passengers are asked to please report to the front desk."   
Max nervously glanced at his watch before making his way over to the reception to book a new flight. Why was his whole body trembling with nervous energy? 

------------------------------------------------

  
  
The house was old. It should have been torn down ages ago, but somehow no one had gotten around to doing it. She was having trouble getting the door open because the lock was jammed, probably due to the major rust damages it must be suffering from. The hinges creaked as the door was stiffly opened and she was met with the musty smell of unaired house. Dust twirled up in the air, teasing her nose and making it want to sneeze. She could see footprints in the dust covering the floors. They were probably from people from the company walking around to inspect the place.   
  
The house was empty, as could have been expected. She slowly let her gaze drift over the dark hallway and linger on the dark wood of the frail looking stairs. It was a normal house that had been abandoned. It seemed like years since someone had lived here. Her steps echoed hollowly off the walls as she stepped inside and started to move through the hallways. The loud bang of the door closing behind her made her jump and her head quickly moved to find the door closed behind her. Somehow that made her feel even more uneasy.   
  
The feelings of unease had been in her system all day, but she had blamed it on her leaving Roswell and being back in New York. At least the sun was shining today. She looked through the open door on her left to find the kitchen. A piece of plastic was hanging over a table and a couple of chairs in a pathetic attempt to cover up the furniture. The sunshine was barely slipping in through the cracks between some planks someone had nailed over the windows, which prevented the sunlight from entering the dark, murky place. She could smell the mold and the stuffy old wetness that one encounters in very wet marshlands. It wasn't fresh, like a summer morning after a night's rain, but closed up and captured, being used and reused Flowing through the same furniture, softening them with the help of water and wood-eating creatures.   
  
Liz leaned against the stairs and pulled the bag off her shoulder. Maybe she could just forget about where she was and that feeling of dread at the pit of her stomach if she just focused on something else. She barely got the chance to open up the file before she heard a noise coming from the door. She gasped and her heart lurched in her throat. She worriedly looked towards the door. The logical and reasonable voice in her head was telling her that she was being silly. It was in the middle of the day and the sun was shining outside. She was in the middle of New York, not in some spooky house out in the wastelands with lightning and thunder ripping through the air. Besides, it was probably only Mr. Smith arriving. When the door opened to reveal who had been standing there, it sent her heart pounding painfully in her chest and she got the sudden instinctive urge to run out of there.   
  
It was David. 

--------------------------------------------

  
  
Why did he feel so uneasy? As if he should be looking over his shoulder the whole time so that no one could catch him off guard. He barely dared to think about the answers his instincts were already providing him with. It was Liz. Liz was in danger. And he might just be too late this time. 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
"Mr. Smith couldn't make it. The meeting ran overtime and he called me and told me to meet you here. Is that okay with you?"   
"Um...yeah." Liz hoped she didn't look as frightened as she felt. She needed to appear strong, to show that she had the upper hand, because she had a really bad feeling that something was going to happen. Something bad.   
"Then, let's get to work," David grinned and walked past her. Liz jumped as she felt his hand brush against her breast. It wasn't an accidental touch, but very intentional. Liz could feel it in the way his hand lingered there.   
"Actually," she swallowed, and took a discreet step away from him, and forced herself to strengthen her voice, "I think I can handle this. I just need to go over the ideas from the customer and look at the buildings and the site some more."   
  
David stopped and turned around to face her. His cold blue eyes made Liz take an involuntary step backwards. "Liz, if you're going to go over that all by yourself you are going to be here until late tonight. And you don't want to be here at night, do you?"   
"I can do some tomorrow. I think I have time for that," Liz objected, not even thinking about being foolish enough to correct him for calling her Liz instead of Elizabeth.   
She watched him start to move towards her and she felt her legs move backwards with as many steps as he took forward. But there are just so many steps to take inside a building and soon she found herself pressed up against one of the old murky walls as David got closer and closer.   
  
"No need to drag this out, Lizzie," David said slowly. His voice was in strong contrast to his eyes. Warm against cold. Life against death.   
"Really, I'm fine," Liz said, stretching her body in an effort to slim out against the wall, trying to make the wall absorb her.   
"Let's talk about what we really want to do," David said. Liz shivered as his cold hand touched her cheek. Tears of fear stung her eyes as she felt his finger menacingly drag along the line of her jaw.   
"I don't know what you're talking about." One last try. One last thread of hope that of all her instincts were wrong and that he didn't really mean what his actions were telling her he meant.   
"Oh yes you do. You and me, Elizabeth."   
  
As his fingers brushed against her lips she opened her mouth, hoping that he would take the bait. She wanted to gag as she felt his finger entering her mouth and then she bit down. Hard. Her teeth sunk into his flesh and a warm liquid filled her mouth. Blood. His blood.   
"You _bitch_," David cried, but Liz didn't waste any time. As soon as David removed his finger from her mouth to get it away from her teeth she was running towards the door. It is ironic really how the swelling of an old wooden door, caused by the same water she had spent most of her life avoiding, would decide her faith.   
  
The door was stuck and she couldn't get it open in time before she felt his arms close around her waist.   
"Nooo!" she cried, struggling to get out of his grip. He flung her down against the cold floor and the impact resounded through her whole body.   
"Please, David. Please, don't."   
"You should have known better than to reject me. You thought you were so clever and so alluring when you pretended not to want me."   
He had her trapped between his thighs. Her hands were immobilized behind her head by one of his hands while the other one was busy ripping her shirt open.   
"No!" she cried, a new strength in her voice and she pushed at him in another attempt to get him off of her. She wasn't going to let this happen. He had no right to do this to her. Her fear was slowly turning into anger and she could feel an energy beginning to boil inside of her.   
"I know you wanted me. From the first time you laid your eyes on me I could see that you were trying to tempt me with your short whore skirts."   
  
He made it impossible for her to move. She couldn't hurt him anywhere. She couldn't stick her fingers in his eyes as she had seen on a documentary about how to deal with rapist once. She couldn't knee him in the crotch. She was trapped. But as she felt his hand fumbling over her now naked breasts the energy within her was ignited anew and was building towards a desperate release. She didn't really know what happened. One second David was on top of her, painfully squeezing her breast, and the next he was gone. Her reaction was fast, set in survival mode, and she was quickly on her legs. She found David curled in a ball at the other end of the hallway, screaming as he clutched his hands over his eyes. Liz breathing was coming in quick gasps and she didn't know what to do.   
  
The police.   
  
She should call the police. She looked down in an attempt to start looking for her bag. David's animalistic cries were coursing through her body. That's when she saw the green flickering moving across her hands as electrical currents.   
"Oh my God," she gasped and slowly looked across the room on David. She could now see blood pouring out from behind his hands, which were still covering his eyes. "Oh my God."   
In a state of shock, she bent down and tried to get her cell phone out of her bag. Her trembling hands were making it extremely difficult. Of course, the fact that they were still flickering with green lights and making sparkling sounds didn't help the situation.   
Her finger trembled as she dialed the number. She had to dial it three times before she got it right.   
  
"Hello? Is this the police?"   
She barely listened to the voice at the other end of the line as she watched David twist around on the floor under agonizing cries.   
"I-I...a man's hurt. Um...he tried to rape me."   
She slowly backed up against the wall beside the door, putting as much distance between herself and David as possible. She pulled her legs up to her chest, never letting David out of her sight as she, in a hushed tone, told the police the address.   
She sat with the phone for some while before she unconsciously let it slide to the floor along with her hand.   
"David?" she sniffed.   
But he was still screaming. She felt like she wanted to vomit. What had she done? She had hurt him! She had somehow hurt him without being able to move. And why was her skin green? And sparkling. "Why?!" she sniffed, her body rocking in short movements back and forth against the wall.   
  
She was so immersed in her own world that she didn't notice that someone had stepped into the house until a man knelt down in front of her.   
"Miss Elizabeth Parker?"   
She jerked her eyes, which were red from crying, towards the stranger's face. "Are you from the police?"   
"Yes. Are you Elizabeth Parker?"   
Suddenly she felt dizzy. She had to brace herself with her hand against the floor, even though she was sitting down. Then everything cleared. She looked up into the man's eyes and frowned.   
"Why are you wearing a suit? Why aren't you in a uniform?"   
"We're from the FBI," the man answered, his gaze flickering to her hands.   
"The FBI?" she asked, her voice strong but cracking with disbelief. "I reported an attempted rape. What interest is that to the FBI?"   
"We need you to come with us, Ms. Parker."   
  
Liz frowned and shook her head, her eyes never leaving the stranger's face. But she could see other men moving around in her peripheral vision. How many were there? And why was it so quiet? An eerie absence of David's screams had lowered itself over the old house.   
"No. I'm going to wait here for the police."   
The man held his stony facial expression. "We have arranged everything with the police. We need you to come and talk with us."   
"I'm not going anywhere with you."   
The man turned his face away from hers and she anxiously followed his gaze. Her heart started beating even faster as she saw him nod and then she felt hands on her arms.   
"No! Let go of me!" Liz cried. She tried to fight them off, but there were too many hands. She felt a sting in the side of her thigh and suddenly everything became so blurry. It was so difficult to keep her eyes open.   
"Let's take her in."   
And her eyes closed.

TBC…


	38. Interlude I

_I will now begin to post the Interlude between each "regular" chapter. So after Interlude I, there's chapter 38 and then Interlude II, chapter 39 and so on. So, you'll get to know what happens to Liz, not in this post, but in the next... The interlude is a story on its own and it will, hopefully, provide you with some answers to all of your questions.__  
  
_   
  
  
  
**INTERLUDE I**   
  
Aliandra sighed deeply. Her big dark eyes shifted with sadness as she looked out the big windows.   
"What is the matter?"   
Without turning her head, she answered, "Why me?"   
She could practically feel the frown settle over her best friend's smooth forehead. "Whatever do you mean?"   
Another sigh escaped her. "It is...everything. Everything that I cannot experience."   
"Are you talking about the ball?"   
"The ball, the endless number of dinners, the smiling, the politeness, the never-ending stream of suitors-"   
"Your mind must really be in a fragile state if you are complaining about the suitors. They are the most pleasant part-"   
"No, they are not. I never considered them to be. _You_ did. It is _you_, Soria, that has always taken a keen interest in my life and all events surrounding it. You are the one who has taken most pleasure from it."   
  
"You should be grateful that you have been blessed with this life. Would you rather have been one of those servants who wash the floor? Or one of those girls being sold off to slavery?"   
"Of course not." She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the cool windowpane. No one understood her. Not even the one person she considered to be her best friend.   
"It was not my intention to sound like a spoiled child-"   
"Well, you did. I would gladly be you any day of the week. I mean, being waited on. Having handsome men obey my every command with merely a movement of my finger, having my hair..."   
  
But Aliandra wasn't listening any longer. A plan had begun to take form in her head. Her forehead lifted from the windowpane and she silently observed Soria, who was completely oblivious to the fact that she was being watched. Her hands were moving in the air, emphasizing whatever was coming out of her mouth. A slow smile started to spread over Aliandra's lips as her eyes moved over Soria's face. It had often occurred to her how much alike they were. They had the same eyes, the same nose. They weren't related, yet the similarities were difficult to disregard. It was what was on the inside that created the largest difference. Their personalities were as different as night and day. But in a world focused on beauty, that wouldn't be a problem.   
"Soria," Aliandra began, amusement in her voice as her friend continued to talk. "Soria!"   
Soria instantly stopped talking at the authority in Aliandra's voice, which was rarely used.   
"Yes?"   
The corners of Aliandra's mouth began to twitch with the knowledge of what she was going to tell Soria. "How would you like to be princess for a day?" 

------------------------------------------------------

  
  
The market was crammed with people of all different shapes and forms. People were talking and laughing. Offers of cheap prices were being screamed over her head as she made her way through the market place. She felt the warmth of the rays of the third sun cascading on her back. She felt the wind blowing in her hair. She loved the feeling she got by wearing her hair down. How carefree it was blowing around her face. No pins to hold it back. No ribbons to hold it strictly in place. Free. Just like she was, at least for today. A smile spread itself over her face as the poignant smell of fresh fish reached her nose, to in the next second be replaced by the smell of fresh-baked bread. Who would ever want to give this up? The people around her didn't wear any jewelry and their clothes were worn, having been washed and reused a million times. But nothing could buy that smile on their faces. That energy. That freedom.   
  
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice a man balancing a plank on his shoulder, backing out between two booths, and her head hit the hard surface of the wood. She cried out in pain and staggered on her feet as the pain clouded her senses, making the world spin around her.   
"Oh my! Miss, are you all right?"   
She closed her eyes, trying to stop the spinning. "Yes, I'm fine," she whispered.   
"Let me help you," she heard the man say and she felt his hand on her arm.   
"I'm fine, thank you," she said, and as if to prove it to herself and to the man that she was, in fact, fine, she opened her eyes and found herself falling into a pair of the most enthralling eyes she had ever seen.   
Her legs crumbled under her and she would have hit the ground if his hands hadn't stopped her fall.   
"Is she okay?" an elderly sounding voice asked.   
"I don't think so, father," the younger man answered. "Miss? Can you hear me?"   
"My head...my head hurts," she murmured. Black spots were dancing behind her closed eyelids and she vaguely heard his voice saying that he was going to take her home before darkness devoured her. 

--------------------------------------------------

  
  
He couldn't deny that she reminded him of the princess. However, her clothes weren't expensive and she didn't wear any jewelry. Her hair was let down, softly resting against the pillow. She was beautiful. He had watched the princess since he was old enough to find girls of any interest and it had been something in her eyes that had spoken to him. Maybe it was the gentleness, the care, or maybe it was the sadness. But she was unreachable. Something he couldn't have. Something prohibited. He was in the military. He had just been assigned to the guard squad at the palace, protecting the princess. Being with a girl like her was just an unattainable dream. It could never be. But this girl, the girl he had carried home from the market after having hit her head on one of his father's planks, she was something else. She was incredibly beautiful. So much like the princess. And she was one of his people. She was one of his own kind.   
  
His eyes were pulled to her face as she coughed.   
"Miss?"   
She slowly opened her eyes. "What happened? Where am I?" There was a flash of panic in her eyes, before her eyes met his.   
  
Her eyes. She had the most incredible eyes. They reminded him so much of someone.   
"You are at my house. You fainted and I didn't know where you lived. So, I took you home."   
Maybe he shouldn't have brought her home. She was probably afraid to be in a strange man's house. He caught her eyes and the intense way she was looking at him made his breath catch in his throat. He dropped his eyes to her small hands resting on top of the covers and said softly, "I'm Zan."   
Aliandra cleared her throat and tried to rid her head of the dizzying clouds. She wasn't Aliandra today. She was just a normal person today.   
"I'm Soria," she answered, giving her friend's name, "Thank you, Zan, for helping me, but I feel fine now. I should probably go home. My parents must be worrying."   
She slowly rose from the bed and the room spun around her. She closed her eyes in an effort to stop the spinning, she felt his warm hand close around her upper arm, and a calmness floated into her, stilling the spinning. For a hazy second she wondered if he had healing powers. But, with a shake of her head, she cleared her mind of such thoughts. The healers had died out several decades ago. There was no one left.   
  
She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Thank you," she said again and he released her arm, holding one hand in the air behind her back, prepared to catch her if she fell.   
"Shall I show you the way back to the market?" Zan asked.   
Aliandra cast a glance out the window and saw the market a couple of houses further down the street. "No, I'll be fine."   
She sneaked a peek at the tall dark-haired man. There was something about him that made her heart beat faster. Beat uncontrollably in her chest. And she suspected that the sudden dizziness wasn't due to the head injury she had suffered.   
"Will I see you again?"   
Aliandra looked up into his eyes and nodded slowly, his gaze pulling her in. "It is very plausible."   
He smiled. One of those smiles that reaches the eyes and make them shine with an almost unnatural glow.   
"I'm looking forward to it," he said softly. "Goodbye, Soria."   
Aliandra smiled. "Goodbye, Zan. It was nice meeting you."   
But it wasn't the last time they would meet. No, this was only the beginning. 

----------------------------------------------

  
  
"Ouch, what is that?" Soria asked, grimacing in sympathy at the lump that had begun to form on Aliandra's forehead.   
"I bumped into something," Aliandra answered, somewhat evasively.   
"You bumped into something?" Soria repeated curiously.   
"Yes," Aliandra answered.   
Soria stared at her. "That's it? You are not going to disclose any more information about your day than that?"   
"How was your day? I know that you are dying to tell me. I'm actually a little surprised that you haven't told me anything yet."   
"It couldn't be any better! I don't know what you are complaining about, Ali, your life is wonderful and after today I envy you even more."   
"Tell me what happened," Aliandra smiled, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Soria was already so deep into retelling about her day as a princess at the palace that she didn't notice Aliandra's satisfied smile at having managed to divert Soria's thoughts away from what had happened to Aliandra. She knew that she had to tell Soria soon, but for now, she was off the hook.   
  
She couldn't stop thinking about that boy. Zan. There was something about him. It was as if he had reached deep inside her soul and coaxed it into life. There was something warm and gentle about him. Something intriguing.   
  
"Londrì Aliandra, His Majesty is requesting your presence."   
Soria and Aliandra turned towards the door. Aliandra could feel her heart starting to beat erratically in her chest as she got up and followed the servant. Why did her father want to see her? He barely spent any time with her. Had he somehow figured out that it had been Soria and not her that had been at the palace, acting as the princess the whole day? She walked down the long and wide staircase, winding down into the large hallways, the servant guiding the way towards her father's office.   
  
Aliandra barely knew her father. He was always in meetings and had been for as long as she could remember. The only contact they had was when he was reprimanding her for doing something wrong. That was why she didn't really have the best hopes when she got closer to her father's office.   
"Aliandra," her father said as he looked up from his papers.   
"Father," Aliandra said curtly and sat down in front of her father.   
"I will get right to the point. You are now reaching a mature age and as you've been taught, we will soon find you a suitable husband and you will get married."   
Aliandra swallowed and inwardly sighed deeply. There was no way she could stop it from happening. Her father would marry her off to someone she didn't know, as long as he was of royal blood. Her people had been doing it for ages. No one ever married for love any more. It was something meant for the lower class, the peasants. The royal family was pure blood and it wasn't to be dirtied with the blood of the lower class. Aliandra frowned at her own thoughts. Why was she thinking about making her blood dirty with the lower class? His face sprang up in front of her eyes. She had only met him once and already he had her thinking about marrying someone from the lower class.   
  
She shook her head to clear it from the thoughts. It wasn't because of him. She had always found the lower class mesmerizing. It was just because it was something unobtainable. Something she could never have. Freedom. Free will. Just the simple fact that you didn't have to tell anyone where you were going, that you were able to go anywhere you wanted without anyone caring sounded wonderful.   
"Aliandra? Are you listening to me?"   
"Yes, father," Aliandra lied and chastised herself for not paying attention.   
"As I was saying, your maturity also calls for a higher security, so I've arranged for more protectors who are going to follow you everywhere you go."   
Aliandra cringed at his words. As if she wasn't already living in a prison. "Everywhere, father?"   
Her father nodded, and answered casually, "Of course, Aliandra. Kwadri will introduce you to the new protectors."   
  
And with a nod she was dismissed. Aliandra forced back the tears as she stood up from the chair. She felt as if she were drowning. As if they were suffocating her. If she didn't get air soon she would pass out.   
"I need to go out," she told her father's advisor.   
"Londrì Aliandra, your father ordered you to meet with the protectors."   
"I don't care what my father _ordered_," Aliandra spit out and brushed past the advisor. Her face was downcast to hide the tears that were threatening to fall, so she didn't see the person standing in her way until she rammed straight into him.   
"Princess Londrì Aliandra?"   
She was just about to continue her walk when his voice caught her focus. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she asked, "Zan?"   
There was a pause and she realized the mistake she had made. Princess Aliandra had not met Zan. Soria had.   
"I'm sorry," she murmured and pushed him away.   
As her legs carried her down the vast green grass carpet, her thoughts were churning fervently in her head. What was Zan doing at the palace?

TBC…


	39. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**   
  
  
She was falling.   
  
Everything was quiet around her and there was nothing she could grab onto to stop her from falling.   
  
_"What do you want?" __  
"I'm not here to hurt you."   
"You already have. Please let me go."   
"I'm here to warn you."   
"What?"   
"Something bad is going to happen to you."   
  
  
"Hi, I'm Isabel."   
"I'm Liz. Are you new here?"   
"Yeah, I'm Mr. Anderson's assistant."   
  
  
"I don't know what is going to happen or when. I just know that something is about to happen to you...and I have to stop it."   
"How do you know this? Are you...like... Are you...psychic?"   
"Something like that."   
"What's your name?"   
"Max."   
"Thank you, Max. Thank you for trying to protect me."   
  
  
"I like you to meet Tess Harding, my girlfriend."   
  
  
"Hello, this is Dr. Simmons."   
"Yes?"   
"Uhm...can you come over to the hospital? Your father has had a heart attack."   
  
  
"You didn't kill your mother."   
"Yes. Yes, I did. I called for her, and then she was...dead. And now I've killed daddy."   
"What?"   
"Please leave... I'm dangerous to you."   
  
  
**Torimentra êl sila**   
  
  
"Liz, listen to me. He is going to be okay."   
"The doctors say that he's-"   
"Forget about what the doctors say. He. Is. Going. To. Be. Okay. I promise."   
  
  
"The doctors are calling it a miracle."   
"A miracle, huh?"   
"Yeah... The doctors said that he didn't have much time left, and that there was a 85 percentage risk that he would die if he suffered yet another heart attack. And you know the really weird thing?"   
"What?"   
"He had these marks on his chest."   
"Marks?"   
"Yeah, silver marks. They almost looked like a handprint."   
"A handprint."   
"Yes. Almost the size of yours."   
  
  
"Do you ever have the feeling that you have met someone before? I mean, even though you're absolutely certain that you haven't, you somehow still recognize the person."   
"Like you have met that person in another place...in another life."   
"Yeah."   
"Yes."   
"I feel that way about you, like I've met you before. Somewhere"   
"As if I _know_ you." __  
"You feel that too?"   
"How did you know to trust me when I first met you? I mean, I was pretty... impolite."   
"You could say that... At first I was scared, but then I saw your face and I just knew."   
"Knew what?"   
"That you could be trusted."   
  
  
"Have you ever been in an abandoned house?"   
"What are you talking about?"   
"I need to know if you have ever been in an abandoned house, or whether you are going to visit an abandoned house."   
"Uhm...no."   
"Good."   
  
  
"What do you do for a living, Max?"   
"Uhm... I'm actually working at an UFO center - a museum of UFO findings."   
"You're kidding."   
"I'm afraid not."   
"Doesn't all the alien humbug get to you?"   
"Nah...it's pretty entertaining."   
"I bet. So are you a believer?"   
"I guess you can say that."   
"What's your theory?"   
"My theory?"   
"Yeah...do you think that there actually _are_ aliens abducting humans from time to time - doing experiments on them...or do you only think that they crashed in Roswell and that was the end of it? Or maybe you even believe that the aliens are walking among us - in human form." __  
"I guess I just believe that the universe is too large to believe that humans are the only advanced life form."   
"I agree with you there."   
  
  
"How long have you known Maria...and the others?"   
"My whole life... No, that's not true."   
"No?"   
"Um...since I was six."   
"Oh, okay."   
  
  
"You want something?"   
"No, thanks."   
"Mmmm.... I hate myself."   
"I have a thing for sweet things as well."   
  
  
"I have this dietary quirk. I have to put Tabasco on everything I eat..."   
"Really? Why?"   
"I don't know. Food just tastes bland without it."   
  
  
"I guess I have a thing for sweet things."   
"Can't beat me there. Me too."   
"I don't believe you."   
"I put sugar in my sodas."   
"I do that too!!"   
"You're kidding me."   
"No."   
"You're not kidding. Wow, I thought only Isabel, Michael and I did that."   
  
  
"What did you dream of?"   
"Excuse me?"   
"What did you dream of?"   
"Normalcy."   
  
  
**Luminatà lorir**   
  
  
"What just happened?"   
"We kissed."   
"Yes, but I've never felt anything like that before. Is that supposed to happen?"   
"You mean, you've never kissed anyone before? Oh..."   
"I have all this...energy inside of me. Do you have that too?"   
"My whole body is humming."   
"I can't stop trembling."   
"Me neither."   
"I...have this... I need you, Max."   
  
  
"Tell me about you and Max."   
"I like him...very much."   
"You 'like' him, huh? Nothing more?"   
"I don't know yet. But yesterday we...um...kissed."   
"And how was it?"   
"Beautiful."   
  
  
"It _feels_ right. It feels right in a way nothing has ever felt right in my life before." __  
"I think I'm falling for you, Liz Parker."   
"But you don't even know what you're falling for. I'm complicated. I don't want to suck you in."   
"I told you before and I'm telling you again. It doesn't matter how much you fight it, I'm already a part of your life. Liz, there are a lot of things I don't know about you, but there are also a lot of things you don't know about me. And maybe it would be for the best if we didn't get involved in each other's lives for reasons I can't tell you right now. But these feelings are strong and I can't deny them."   
  
  
"Hey Liz, there was someone here looking for you."   
"Really?"   
"Yes, he was very eager to meet you. He said he was your friend."   
"He didn't tell you his name?"   
"No, that's stupid. We forgot to ask him."   
"Did he say anything else so that I can somehow figure out who he is? I mean, did he say where I could find him?"   
"No, not really. He was just asking if we knew Elizabeth Parker and said that he would find you. He seemed pretty upset."   
  
  
"Max, what's wrong?"   
"Let's get him out of here."   
"What's going on? Maria? What's wrong?"   
"Get her out of here!"   
"Liz, you have to get out of here."   
"No."   
"Liz, you can't be here."   
"Lay him down."   
"Oh my God, Michael. He's shaking. What are we going to do?"   
"Maria! Get over here!"   
"Liz, please. You can't be here."   
"Maria. Don't make me leave. I want to help. What's wrong with him? Is it one of those epileptic seizures?"   
"Maria!! Get her out of here!"   
"We'll talk later, Liz, okay? Now, please, leave us alone!"   
"I want to help, Maria. Please let me help."   
"Liz..."   
"Don't you understand?! Get out!!"   
  
  
"Please promise me something."   
"Anything."   
"Promise me that you will never leave me."   
"I won't."   
"No, Max. Promise me, Max. Please promise me."   
"I promise with all my heart."   
  
  
**Il reinaid monri**   
  
  
"I didn't belong there. I don't belong _here_." __  
"What are you talking about?"   
"I don't belong here, Max. With you or with your friends. I belong in New York."   
"No, Liz-"   
"I've been thinking that for a while now, but today just proved it. I'm an intruder. I don't belong in your group. Your group is already so strong and it's really a beautiful thing. I wish I had friends like that. But I don't and I can't have yours."   
"Liz, where's all this coming from? I _want_ you in my life and I'm sorry if Michael behaved like an idiot towards you today but they are just a little..." __  
"Mistrusting. And I don't blame you. I don't really consider it to be a bad thing. You have something to hide and you'll hide it at all costs."   
  
  
  
"You don't trust me either."   
"Yes I do."   
"You do? Then why don't you trust me with the truth?"   
"I-I- I've told you...things."   
"No, you haven't. I don't know anything about your childhood, except for what your parents told me at dinner. I don't know why you sometimes wake up screaming. I don't know how, when you didn't write down my phone number, you still remember it after only hearing it once. I don't know how you were able to get into my apartment without a key."   
  
  
"Say something."   
"Please don't leave, Liz."   
"Then tell me Max. Let me in."   
"I can't."   
"Then I have to leave."   
"No, Liz. Please. Something bad is going to happen to you."   
"What, Max?"   
"I don't know. And that's the truth, Liz. I don't know what's going to happen. I just know that something is going to happen to you and I have to be there."   
"Would it be so bad to tell me, Max? Isn't my life worth more than your secret?"   
"Yes, it is. That's why I can't tell you. I have to keep you safe from my secret."_   
  
  
White.   
  
Everything was white. Colorless.   
  
Heavy.   
  
Her head was so heavy. Throbbing.   
  
Confusion.   
  
Where was she? What had happened?   
  
She gathered her strength to get her head to look to the right. There was a blinding pain in her neck and her eyes painfully drifted close in a desperate effort to block the pain that was plowing through her head.   
  
Slowly, she opened her eyes again. Her blurry vision tried to process the surroundings. Tried to send a comprehensible representation of the room to her brain.   
  
White.   
  
Clean.   
  
Empty.   
  
Sterile.   
  
So when a segment of the wall was removed, telling of a hidden doorway, she involuntarily closed her eyes again against the blinding light.   
  
"Ms. Parker."   
  
Somehow, she managed to open her eyes. A man was walking towards her and she noticed that she couldn't feel anything. She had no strength left to feel if he was a good man or a bad one. She didn't have any strength to even care.   
  
"You got us all worried there for a while. How are you feeling?"   
  
She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to remember what you did when you spoke. Her mouth was so dry that she could barely move her tongue.   
  
"Let me give you some water."   
  
So tired.   
  
She just wanted to sleep.   
  
No.   
  
She couldn't. Not now. Not yet. She had to find out where she was. To find out what had happened to her.   
  
She felt the unmistakable sensation of plastic against her lips and she open her mouth by reflex to feel the cold, wet liquid float down her throat.   
  
She greedily swallowed the liquid, the unused muscles in her throat trying unsuccessfully to keep up with her tempo. She coughed as she choked on the liquid.   
  
"Take it easy there."   
  
Eyes opened. Why was it so hard to keep them open? It was as if someone was trying to pull them down and she was helplessly fighting to keep them open. She wetted her lips with her tongue, feeling the parched state of her dry lips scrape against her tongue.   
  
"Where..."   
  
Cough.   
  
"Where am I?"   
  
"You're in a sleep facility."   
  
What?   
  
"What?"   
  
"Your father brought you in ten days ago. You were having troubles sleeping. You were having nightmares and he also reported that you were sleepwalking. He found you walking around the neighborhood and he was concerned about your safety. He was hoping that we could find an answer to your sleep disorder."   
  
"I've been asleep?"   
  
"Yes, you were asleep when your father brought you here. He hadn't been able to wake you up for two days."   
  
Her brain started to feel a little clearer. This didn't make any sense. She had been asleep. What about Max?   
  
"When did my father bring me in?"   
  
The man looked down at the journal he held in his hands. "October 4th."   
  
Coldness washed over her. She felt as if she had been thrown in a bucket of ice-cold water and the water was closing over her head, cutting off her air.   
  
October 4th was the day when the stranger tried to rape her. When she had met Max for the first time. Where was Max?   
  
Taking a deep breath, forcing the vital oxygen down her throat, she asked,   
"Do you know anything about Max?"   
  
The man looked at her, his expression revealing nothing. "Max?"   
  
"Max Evans."   
  
The man stared at her then he started to sift through his papers, looking for the answer. Calmly, he looked up at her. "No. There is no record of any Max Evans. But on the other hand, I don't find it too surprising that you mention him. You have been mumbling his name. Along with..." He looked down in the notes again. "David, Maria, Isabel, and Michael. I'm guessing that they are only a part of your imagination. Figures that your mind conjured up during sleep."   
  
She wanted to panic. She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to laugh.   
  
"What?" she mumbled. Her throat was so dry. "That can't be true. I... I _know_ these people."   
The man looked at her with something akin to compassion in his eyes. "I'm sorry. Your father gave us a list of people you were the closest too. It was only him, one Mr. Smith, and one Alex Whitman."   
  
This couldn't be happening. She couldn't have dreamt it all. Could she?   
  
"Where's my father?"   
"He comes and visits you every day, but he isn't allowed to have any direct contact with you. Direct contact can affect the results."   
"The results?"   
"No case prior to you has been reported of a person falling into a comatose state without being in an accident or suffering from a head injury."   
"Why didn't my father take me to the hospital?"   
For a moment, she could've sworn that uncertainty flashed through the man's eyes. He cleared his throat and answered, in that calm voice of his, "Since you had been experiencing difficulties with sleeping for some time now, he thought that maybe the sudden coma had something to do with your sleep. When he first contacted us, we wanted to have you brought in to study your sleeping habits and to see if there was anything we could do to cure you, but before we could act on that, you fell into a coma. Under our advice and supervision, Mr. Parker reached the conclusion that it would be more efficient to put you in a sleep facility than in a hospital."   
"What was it that woke me up?"   
"We are testing an experimental method on you-"   
"As in I'm your guinea-pig?"   
"None of the already existing treatments for sleep disorders could be applied to your condition, so your father gave his consent to put you under this method."   
  
Her father had put her on a method that was not known to be safe? That didn't sound like her father. That sounded too risky. She must've really frightened him to make him resort to something like that. To make him feel like it was the only way out.   
  
"What does this method do?"   
"Sleep constitutes of several sub-levels. Some are more known and studied than others like REM-sleep, which is when you dream. But there are many levels of sleep that are unexplored as of yet. One state is the state a person enters when in coma. Some people have reported that they were able to hear everything around them when they were in a coma. Some are more close to the state of unconsciousness, where they can't hear anything. From what we have heard of your mumbles, you have ventured into a level of sleep where dreams take on the appearance of being real. Your dreams appear so real that they become your reality."   
  
"What are you saying? That everything that happened to me after the 4th of October was all in my mind? Something I made up? All the events, all the people?"   
"Yes."   
Her breathing had become erratic now. She no longer knew what was real. Was she going insane?   
"Our method is based on the premise that there are some parts of our brain that regulate sleep. If something is damaged in that part of the brain, a person will experience sleep difficulties. The bigger the damage, the greater the disorder. Therefore, we have tried to awaken those parts of your brain by stimulating them. You have been given drugs and some electric shocks were applied to your brain."   
  
"What?!"   
He smiled reassuringly. "These are only small amounts of electricity. If you had been awake it would have only felt like a tickling sensation."   
If she could have felt her legs, she would have been up and running right now. She had to try to escape. She had to see for herself if the world outside was hers, or if it was theirs.   
  
Wait. She couldn't feel her legs.   
  
Panic simmered under the surface as she turned to him, "Why can't I feel my legs?"   
The man cleared his throat yet again. "It's one of the more unfortunate side-effects of the treatment."   
She stopped breathing. "Have you paralyzed me?"   
"No, no." The man chuckled. Liz wanted to cry. Her whole world, as she knew it, had disappeared and this man was more or less laughing.   
"It's temporary. It will wear off soon." Wear off? Like a cold?   
"When can I leave?"   
  
That was her main concern. She wanted out of here. She couldn't trust her mind any longer, but she couldn't trust the man in front of her either.   
"I'm sorry, but we can't let you out of here just yet. As I mentioned before, there are some side effects of the treatment and we need to make sure that you are okay. For now, we don't even know if your sleep is normal."   
"I want to see my father."   
"We cannot allow you to do that."   
Liz stared at him. "Why?"   
"As I said before, that can affect the results, and your treatment."   
"That's ridiculous. I don't care about the results. I want to see my father."   
Her breathing had turned shallower and the energy it took her to inhale and exhale was making her chest ache.   
  
"Ms. Parker. It's for your own good."   
"I don't care about that!" Liz exclaimed, her voice increasing in volume.   
"Ms. Parker. Calm down, this is not good for you."   
"I. Want. To. See. My. Father," Liz stated slowly, trying to calm down her racing heart.   
"We can't let you do that," the man repeated.   
"I want to talk with someone else," Liz said.   
The man shook his head. "That's against the regulations."   
There was a shuffling sound and Liz turned her head slightly, to be able too look beyond the man. Other men were walking into the room. There were three of them and they were all dressed in the same white clothes as the man who was looking at her closely, probably gauging her reaction. Wondering if she would freak out or not.   
  
"You're treating me like a prisoner!" Liz said. Her voice sounded loud in her ears, almost hysterical, and when she glanced at the men slowly approaching her bed she got the feeling that they were hearing the hysterical note in her voice as well.   
"Ms. Parker, calm down. It's not good for you to get worked up like this."   
Get worked up?! He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder.   
If she had been able to move she would've shrugged it off. "Don't touch me," she ground out through clenched teeth. She didn't miss the small gesture the man made in the direction of the other men, which made them quicken their pace towards the bed.   
  
"I want to see my father," Liz said. A part of her knew that maybe it wasn't so wise to panic, that maybe she should comply with their wishes, but everything else in her body was screaming that something was wrong.   
The men slowly started to surround her bed, moving like she would strike out against them if they made a sudden movement. Like they were approaching a wild animal.   
"Ms. Parker. We are not the enemy. We are doing this for your own good."   
Liz didn't even look at the man. Her eyes were glued to the syringe one of the men had pulled up. She wanted to struggle and move away, but she couldn't move. Only her head and the pain of moving her head too quickly were almost enough to make her pass out.   
"No! Get away!" she yelled.   
She could feel their hands on her arms and then she felt the sting as the syringe penetrated her skin. The scream died on her lips as the world slowly started to turn black around her.   
  
  
  
TBC...


	40. Interlude II

Hi everyone!

Even though it's a little late, Merry Christmas!! I hope you had a great one!!! 

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave me some feedback. *hugs* A special hug to Charisma for leaving feedback on every chapter!! Thank you, girlfriend!!

Without further ado, here's the next (two) chapters.

**INTERLUDE II**   
  
  
She had been crying. She had been so close that her scent had enveloped him. Her warmth had wrapped around him. And he could have sworn that she had whispered his name. Zan. How did she know his name? They had never met before. He had only studied her from afar. But they had never been introduced to each other and there was no way she could have heard about him. No way she could have found out his name. He was just a simple person of the lower class. She didn't associate with people like him.   
  
But she had said his name. And it had made shivers run down his spine. It had been the way his name had been whispered over her lips. As if he were something safe. A savior. But then the moment had disappeared. She had pulled away and he was now watching her run down the lawn. 

----------------------------------------

  
  
It was the night of the ball. Her role was something that was admired by million girls all over the planet. This night was described as the most romantic one and girls described it with stars in their eyes. This was the night the princess was attended by suitors. This was the night she was to wear a beautiful dress and her hair would be perfect. It was the night taken from a dream.   
  
To Aliandra, this was the worst night of her life. She was in for a long night of polite smiles and nice comments. She was in for a long night of being tracked down by every man in the upper class. She was in for a long night with an endless number of dances. And suitable candidates for her future husband would be chosen. It was going to be a nightmare.   
  
"Aren't you excited?" Soria squealed beside her.   
Aliandra closed her eyes and forced down the taste of bile in her throat, before putting a forced smile on her lips. It was the first of many that evening.   
"Yes, of course I am," she answered.   
"You look so beautiful," Soria sighed as she admired Aliandra's reflection in the mirror.   
Aliandra met Soria's eyes in the mirror and wondered how Soria could say such a thing. How was it that her best friend, who had known her since they were three, couldn't see how miserable she was?   
"You look stunning too," Aliandra smiled.   
Soria returned her smile and then plopped down on Aliandra's bed. "So, do you think we are going to meet any nice boys tonight?"   
"I am forced to meet someone," Aliandra murmured under her breath.   
"What was that?" Soria asked.   
"Nothing," Aliandra said.   
"Londrì Aliandra. Miss Soria. The guests are expecting your entrance."   
"Well, I guess we have a duty to fulfill," Soria said with a big smile and breezed out of Aliandra's room.   
Aliandra took a deep breath before following Soria, leaving the quiet and calm haven of her bedroom behind her. 

--------------------------------------------------

  
  
The night became an endless stream of dances, smiling and small talk. Aliandra lost count of how many times she had said how lovely night it was and how good the food tasted. Her life consisted of an endless number of repetitive acts. The same things, over and over again. She had reached a point where she didn't know if she was even living anymore. She felt like a walking shell, going on autopilot. And she could feel the nausea rising in her throat. Her feet ached and she grimaced as she saw yet another man walking in her direction. She was caught in indecision about whether she should try to slip away or endure yet another dance. The choice really wasn't that difficult to make. But just as she was getting up, she caught her father's eyes across the room. He was staring intently at her, as if he knew that she was about to skip one dance. Aliandra bit back her tears of frustration and sank back down on the chair.   
"Princess Londrì Aliandra? Could you please come with me for a moment?"   
  
Her breath caught in her throat as she heard his voice and she slowly turned her head to find him looking at her. The soft and compassionate look in his eyes made her want to let go of the strict control she held of her tears.   
"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely holding up.   
With one glance over her shoulder at her father, she rose and walked after Zan.   
"Where are we going?" Aliandra asked as they walked out onto the terrace.   
"I want to show the princess something," Zan said quietly.   
Aliandra followed, feeling the energy returning to her body and her curiosity peaking.   
There was a stone stair leading down from the terrace to the big lawn.   
"Uhm.... Are you sure we should go so far away from the palace?" Aliandra asked as they walked further and further away from the palace. Suddenly she wasn't so sure what she was doing. Sure, she had a good feeling about Zan, but she didn't know him. She had only met him once and she knew now that he was one of her protectors, but could she be sure that she could go off alone with him?   
  
"It is not so much further, Princess," Zan said, taking her hand. Heat exploded from the place where he touched her and traveled up her arm, making her gasp.   
"Is something wrong, Princess?" Zan asked, trying to ignore the electricity he had felt running up his arm when his fingers had wrapped around her small hand.   
"No, I'm fine, I'm fine," Aliandra answered, "Are you sure this is safe?"   
An easy smile spread over his face and he nodded. Aliandra's eyes lingered on his face. The light of the yellow second moon was shifting over his face, illuminating some parts while putting shadow over others. Aliandra had never seen a more beautiful man.   
"It's safe," he answered and tugged on her hand.   
Two trees reached towards each other, their branches linking together to form a gateway. Zan pulled Aliandra under the trees and she found herself down by a small stream. She remembered playing at this stream when she was little, but she hadn't been there in years.   
  
"Come here, Princess," Zan said and pulled her towards one of the bigger trunks. As they got closer she could hear a small beeping sound. Aliandra watched as Zan knelt by one of the trunks and pulled up a baby zori. Zoris were small animals. They didn't get too big. They had soft fur ranging from the colors of white to black, small ears hanging down their faces. And they were very rare.   
"Oh my," Aliandra whispered as Zan placed the little zori in her hands. It beeped and looked up at her with large blue eyes. "It's beautiful."   
"I found them a couple of days ago and I just had to show you," Zan said, speaking before thinking.   
"Why?" Aliandra looked up at him in confusion.   
Zan realized his mistake and cleared his throat. "Pardon me?"   
"Why me? Why would you want to show me?" Aliandra asked.   
"Because I want you to be happy," Zan answered quietly, dropping his eyes to the zori in her hands, slowly stroking its fur.   
  
Aliandra's jaw dropped at his statement. No one had ever said that to her before. No one had ever done something to make _her_ happy. It had always been about duty. Fulfilling what everyone else wanted. Living up to everyone's expectations.   
"How...Why did you... How did...Why did you take me out here? It's in the middle of the ball."   
"You looked like you needed a break," Zan answered.   
"My father is not going to be pleased," Aliandra's eyes dropped to the zori and her voice filled with sadness, "He is going to pick my husband tonight."   
Zan swallowed. He wanted to take that sadness away from her eyes so badly it hurt.   
"You deserve so much more," he said softly.   
The tears that had been threatening to fall all night spilled over and ran down her cheeks.   
"Please don't cry," Zan whispered.   
"It's just... I don't want to get married. I want to be free. I want to feel what it's like to be in love. I want to live."   
  
"You will," Zan said with conviction.   
Aliandra shook her head and put the zori in his hands. "No I won't. Thank you, Zan for taking me here, but I need to go back."   
His hand on her upper arm stopped her. The hot tears were running down her cool cheeks as her gaze fixed on her midnight blue colored evening dress, her eyes unseeing.   
"How do you know my name?" Zan asked. "You said it yesterday too."   
Aliandra took a deep breath and lied, "My father told me. I need to go."   
And she left him standing there, looking after her with sorrow in his eyes, his heart crying for the loneliness, utter desperation and hopelessness in her eyes. 

-----------------------------------------------------

  
  
The following days elapsed in a haze for Aliandra. Aliandra's emotional state grew so bad that she became physically ill. Zan was always around, guarding outside her door or watching over her as she went on short walks in the garden. He didn't let her out of his sight, something the king noticed and applauded him for. He was soon placed as the leader in the protector squad, despite his young age. He was only one year older than Aliandra. He played his role to perfection. He would die before he let anything happen to her. But his loyal attitude towards the princess wasn't merely based on duty. He was falling in love with her and he felt torn.   
  
Because on his days off, he was at the market and he met this other girl, Soria, who, on the outside, was so much like princess Aliandra. But on the inside she was so different. And he found himself having feelings for Soria too. And it felt like a betrayal. To both Aliandra and Soria. Somehow, he was falling head over heels in love with them both. But you couldn't be in love with two people, could you?   
  
"Zan! Zan!"   
He turned around and found Soria running towards him, a big smile on her face and her dark hair flying in the wind.   
"Soria," he smiled. She stopped in front of him, grinning at him.   
"What are you doing today?" she asked brightly.   
Zan's thoughts drifted to the bleak replica of the beautiful princess he had left earlier that morning and he felt a sting in his heart. Aliandra watched the emotions flicker over his face and she bit her lower lip. She wondered if he had figured out her secret yet; she and Aliandra were one and the same. She felt a pang of guilt in her heart for deceiving him. But she couldn't let him know. Then he would stop seeing her. She needed this fantasy world or she wouldn't survive. And she needed him to be a part of her fantasy world. For it to work, he couldn't know about her. He couldn't know her true past, her true place in society.   
"Uhm...I was planning on only looking around. I need to find a fishing net for my father."   
"Oh, let me help you," Aliandra said.   
Zan shook his head in amusement at her barely contained energy. She was almost bouncing in place.   
"If it would make you happy, then I will make it my duty to let you assist me," Zan said.   
"Great," Aliandra brightened and snaked her slender hand in his. Zan unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand and, hand in hand, they started to walk over to the market place.   
  
  
Three hours later they were on their way to Zan's house. The soft breeze was flowing around them, carrying fragrances from all corners of the surrounding fields. The sun was blazing down on them and Aliandra had never felt more at peace.   
"I love this," she mused.   
"What?" Zan asked, lacing his fingers with hers.   
"Walking here with you. With the birds chirping all around me, the wind blowing in the trees, the smell of wheat filling the air."   
Zan smiled at her in amusement. It was as if she had never experienced a beautiful day before.   
"It's just perfect," Aliandra continued.   
"It is," Zan agreed, contentment filling him at the easy swinging of their clasped hands between them and the joy he found in the occasional glances he sneaked at her profile and her billowing hair.   
They walked a couple of minutes in peaceful silence before Aliandra spoke again.   
"Do you believe in true love?"   
  
Zan looked at her, trying to read her expression. "Yes," he answered.   
"I mean," Aliandra continued as if she hadn't heard his answer, "Do you think that there is a love that two people can feel for each other which makes them always want to be together?"   
"I do," Zan answered without hesitation.   
He frowned as Aliandra abruptly stopped. She looked up in his eyes with such determination that he could have sworn it was the princess in front of him, not Soria.   
"I want you to kiss me," she said.   
Zan choked on the breath he was just about to inhale. "What did you say?"   
Without releasing his eyes, she repeated, "I want you to kiss me."   
Zan frowned and searched her face. "What...why...where is this coming from?"   
He could see the hurt flash in her eyes before she had a chance to drop her gaze and start to walk. "You don't want to kiss me."   
  
Zan reached out with his hand and stopped her. "Soria, stop. Yes, I do."   
He could see her biting her lower lip in that adorable way she did as she turned her face halfway towards his.   
"I just...are you sure?"   
Aliandra laughed. It was meant to come out assertive, but it sounded nervous to her ears. "Zan, it's only a kiss. I've just...I've never been kissed before." And I want to feel what it feels like to kiss someone I love before my father marries me off to someone I don't even know, she added in her mind.   
She was afraid to meet his eyes. Suddenly, she felt shy and a little embarrassed. It wasn't until his finger gently pushed her chin upwards that she met his eyes. His eyes. They were so soft and so warm. She could drown in them. Get lost in their safety. They were a place for her to feel completely content and happy. And now they were looking directly at her. Dominated by something she had never seen in anyone looking at her before. It made her legs go weak and she knew. She knew that he was as in love with her as she was. And she pulled away. She laughed nervously and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.   
  
"No, this is ridiculous. You don't have to kiss me, Zan. I'm being ridiculous. I'm not gonna force you into anything you-"   
She didn't have the chance to finish that sentence before she felt his lips on hers. His incredibly soft and warm lips. They brushed against hers so easily, so gently. And the feeling was so familiar and yet so new that it made her legs buckle under her and she sagged against him. His arms moved around her waist, holding her securely against him. And she allowed herself to lose herself in his touch, in the gentle caresses of his lips against hers, in the silent explosions going off in every corner of her body. In the heat his hands elicited on the skin of her back, the heat blazing through her clothes warming her cold body. And she knew she had lost the battle. She knew that she could never go back. She was helplessly and irrevocably in love with Zan.

TBC...


	41. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**   
  
She was sitting on a big green meadow. She could smell the sweet fragrances of the summer flowers floating through the air. The breeze was humid and played in the tendrils of her long hair. She was waiting. Waiting for him.   
  
She watched a lonesome butterfly flap its colorful wings to withstand the puffs of air that was trying to steer it into the wrong direction. As she watched the butterfly fly from one flower to the next, she felt him. His presence was like a warm light beam, directed at her neck, where she knew his gaze would be directed.   
  
"You came," she breathed, "I knew you would come."   
She could feel him getting closer, but it was as though the sounds were muffled, made softer and more beautiful. As his hand came into contact with her skin, she lightly gasped.   
"I'll always come for you," he whispered, and she could feel his breath on the side of her neck, making goosebumps spread over her skin. She closed her eyes as he pulled back the curtain of hair, exposing her neck. Holding her breath, she anticipated his touch before it came.   
  
"Max," she whimpered as his lips brushed over her exposed skin.   
"I miss you," he whispered, his lips vibrating against her skin with the sound. .   
"Where are you?"   
His lips left her skin and she slowly opened her eyes and turned her head so that she could see him.   
  
He was beautiful; even more beautiful than she remembered. He was looking at her in that intense way he usually looked at her and she felt her insides warm up. He was slowly thawing her soul with the emotions he was embedding her in. He slowly came around her and sat down in front of her, his eyes never leaving hers. She could see everything in those eyes. She could see the love and his happiness at seeing her, but she could also far too clearly see his concern and worry.   
"I'm right here," he answered. She had never thought of how soft his voice was. It could make her feel safe and protected in a way nothing she'd ever could've imagined. She cradled his face with her hand, feeling the warmth of his skin seep into her hand.   
"He said you didn't exist," she murmured.   
"I'm as real as you are," Max answered and then paused before asking, "Who's he?"   
"Some doctor," Liz answered, and then frowned, "Max, what's Isabel doing here?"   
  
Max didn't even turn his head in the direction Liz's was nodding. As soon as Liz had opened her eyes to look at Max she had not only seen Max but also his sister. But she remained in the background, sitting under a large oak. When Liz caught Isabel's eyes, Isabel gave a small wave with a soft smile on her face.   
"Um...she's just tagging along," Max said.   
"Okay...Max, are you ready to tell me the truth now?" Liz asked as she traced his jaw line with her finger. He captured her hand in his and slowly brought the back of her hand to his lips, marking it with a soft kiss.   
"Later," he breathed.   
And suddenly Isabel was standing beside them. She was wearing a lime colored dress and her long blonde hair was blowing around her face. She looked so different. So carefree. She gave Liz a warm smile as she placed her hand on her brother's shoulder.   
"Hi Liz," she said.   
"Hi Isabel," Liz smiled. Isabel turned her head towards Max.   
  
"Max, we have to go now."   
"You're leaving?" Liz asked, her voice stricken with panic.   
Max gave Isabel a look and getting the unspoken message she took a few steps away from the couple. Max turned his face back to Liz and cradled her face in his hands.   
"Liz, listen to me very carefully. Whatever they're telling you is not true. You have to listen to your inner voice, what your intuition is telling you. Isabel and I have to go right now, but we are not leaving you. We are all coming to get you."   
Liz nodded, feeling a sense of relief and security in his voice and eyes.   
"Before you know it, we'll be together again," Max whispered and leaned forward to softly brush his lips over hers.   
She could taste the saltiness of her own tears as she sunk into Max's kiss. He pulled away and softly brushed some of her tears away.   
"I'll be waiting," Liz whispered.   
Max nodded and placed a kiss on her forehead before standing up. With one last glance at her he turned away and walked away towards Isabel.   
  
And with a snap, she was awake. 

--------------------------------------

  
  
Liz watched the hatchway open in the wall as it had done the last couple of days. A tray was pushed inside. She already knew what would be on it: some pieces of bread, water, and vegetables. She was hungry all the time. She could literally feel the pounds falling off her. The man she had met the first time she had become conscious had only visited her one more time. She had asked him when she would get released, but he had given her some cryptic answer about they having to wait until the side effects had worn off and they were able to see if the treatment had been successful. She had asked him why she couldn't get some meat or potatoes or something like that. She had been given the vague reply that vegetables, bread and water were basically the only things that went well together with her medications.   
  
She didn't believe a word of it.   
  
He hadn't visited her since then. It was probably because they had to sedate her the last time he did too, because she had insisted on them taking her outside or something. She didn't know how exactly they were able to monitor her sleep, because there were no electrodes fastened to her head or body. Nothing connected her body in any way to any machines that could monitor her brain waves and hence her sleep.   
  
When you're trapped in a small room with nothing at all to do for several days, and according to her calculations ten days had elapsed since she had first woken up, you had a lot of time on your hands to think. And that was what she had done. When she had really started to try and puzzle everything together she wondered why she hadn't put things together before. She practically already had all the pieces. Now she just had to fit them together into a comprehensible picture.   
  
Max, Isabel and Michael were different. They had a secret that they were so desperate to hide that they were even willing to risk their own lives to keep it from getting out. She had thought long and hard about what the secret might be. She had to admit that they were good at not letting anything slip, but that didn't mean that Max hadn't given her any clues. Because he had. She didn't know why he had done that. Maybe he _wanted_ her to know, but it would be safer if she found out on her own, instead of him telling her. Then Michael and Isabel wouldn't have anything to blame Max for. It actually made some sense.   
  
There was this thing about Tabasco. Never before in her life had she heard about someone putting Tabasco on everything they ate. Sure, some people had weird eating habits, but this was way beyond eccentric eating. Once, Alex wanted to see how it tasted to put ketchup on ice cream. He had smiled and swallowed, but then quickly reached for the glass of water to wash the taste away. Some combinations just didn't work for the human taste buds and Tabasco in a milkshake had to be one of those.   
  
Then there was that time when she had fallen asleep after spending the evening watching "Notting Hill" with Alex. She had been half asleep and she hadn't thought about it much at the time, but the next day it had been running through her head over and over again. She always locked the door. She lived in New York City and that wasn't exactly the place to forget to lock the door. Besides, she had a very clear memory of locking the door after Alex. But somehow, Max had gotten in. Without her letting him in and without a key. He could just have good burglar abilities, but that didn't explain how had gotten past the safety chain.   
  
And then there was their general bizarre behavior. How they could sometimes just clam up the moment she and Max entered the room. She was sure that it wasn't because of Max, but because of her, and something the others didn't want her to know. Like when Max had gotten those seizures in the CrashDown. She had never seen Michael and Isabel so upset before. Of course, she didn't know them all that well, but their reactions were frightening. Suddenly she was the enemy and with a frightening clarity she had later realized that if Maria hadn't been there she wasn't sure what Michael would have done to her to get her out of there.   
  
Max's mysterious visions about the future weren't too regular either. All the circumstances surrounding him were just out of place. They didn't fit together. She might not have studied psychics too much, but she had never heard of any psychics having seizures as they got their visions. And the way he had looked at her the first time they had really talked. When she had found him convulsing in an alley and brought him to her apartment. He had looked at her as if she was going to hurt him. Not that she was directly going to hurt him. But like she was going to call someone and have them take him away. What made him so afraid? What had scared him so much that he had a problem trusting the people around him?   
  
Liz sighed and slowly started to get up from the bed. Her body still hurt, but at least she could feel her body parts now. She shuffled her feet over the floor. There was one thing that wouldn't leave her alone though. The memory of the green flickering in her hands. What had that been? There was no use in denying that _she_ had somehow gotten David off her without using her hands or legs, or any other part of her body for that matter. As she lifted the tray and started to walk back towards the bed she started to push all those memories of green flickering lights to the back of her head. She couldn't allow herself to think about that too much because then she would start to believe that everything she had experienced the last couple of days had indeed been a trick of her imagination. That Max had really only been a part of her fantasy.   
  
She could stimulate her brain by putting together all the pieces about Max, Michael and Isabel, but she couldn't allow herself to reach the final answer. Because if the clues she was working with were any indication whatsoever about what the answer would be, she was sure that if she got to know the answer she would probably start to believe in that she had in fact dreamt it all. Because she would've come up with the explanation that Max, Michael and Isabel weren't completely human. It didn't make sense in her head, because they looked completely human. They moved in a human way, behaved in a human way, spoke in a human way. And if she were to say that they were not human, she would have to say that she herself wasn't completely human either. And that was just crazy, because she knew herself. She had always been human. There was nothing overtly weird about her.   
  
She sat down in the bed and put the tray in her lap. Despondently, she stared at the food. Her stomach was starving, but every day it got harder and harder to eat. She could feel reality slipping away from her. She was spending her days thinking and talking to herself. She was spending the nights dreaming that she was talking to Max.   
  
_Sleep constitutes of several sub-levels. Some are more known and studied than others like REM-sleep, which is when you dream. But there are many levels of sleep that are unexplored._   
  
Maybe the explanation to why she was trapped in here wasn't such a bad one. It certainly felt safer to say that she had dreamt it all instead of admitting to herself that she and the man she loved wasn't completely human. 

-----------------------------------------

  
  
She was certain that if they didn't let her out soon, she would die from boredom. She had promised herself that when her body started to regain its strength she would start pounding the walls and not quit until they let her out. All she asked was to be treated like a person instead of some criminal. They had no right to lock her up like this, even if it was for her own good.   
  
She sighed as she leaned back against the pillow and stared up into the white, flawless ceiling.   
  
God, she was bored.   
  
That's when the wall started to move, revealing the man.   
  
"Oh, how nice of you to stop by," Liz said sarcastically but she couldn't help but frown. The man wasn't dressed in his usual white coat. He was wearing some kind of protective suit and a mask over his face. He reminded Liz of an astronaut. Or a person going into an area contaminated with a deadly disease.   
  
"What's the occasion?" she asked, staring at the man as he approached the bed.   
"I'm just gonna take some of your blood," his voice was muffled by the mask.   
"Why do you need my blood? Since when do you need blood samples to study sleep disorders?"   
"The reasons to us taking your blood are confidential." He stepped up to her and took a hold of her arm. Liz ripped her arm away from him.   
"Yes, that might be so. But it's my blood and it's up to me if you should take it or not."   
"Ms. Parker. Give me your arm now, or extreme measures will be taken. I don't think you want to experience that."   
  
Liz frowned. "Are you threatening me?"   
"Ms. Parker," the man warned.   
"No," Liz said simply, and started to climb out of the bed on the side opposite the side the man was occupying. "Before you take my blood, I want to know what the hell is going on here!"   
At the end of her sentence more doors opened in the room and several men walked in.   
"Take her down. Keep her semi-conscious."   
Before Liz could react the men were surrounding her and her struggling didn't do much against three fully-grown men. She felt the now unmistakable prick when the needle penetrated her skin. But the darkness didn't come this time. She suddenly felt very dizzy and nausea bubbled up in her throat. Without knowing how she had gotten there, she realized that she was now back in the bed and the man was leaning over her.   
  
"Listen to me very carefully, Elizabeth. I have tried to be patient with you, but since you are not willing to cooperate, my patience ends here. We are not afraid of what you are able to do, because you won't be able to do it anyway. We have disabled all of your special abilities. This is where the playing ends and the reality begins. I tried to be your friend, but you just didn't want to cooperate. You would have wanted me on your side, Elizabeth. So, the silk gloves are gone and you will be regretting ever standing up to me. Now, get some rest. You'll need it for what I have in mind for you. Till next time."

TBC...


	42. Interlude III

_Hi everyone! _

_Jeez, it's really been a long time since I updated last time. I'm sorry. My computer crashed – infected with 36 viruses ­– and I'm leaving for Australia in less than a month, so a lot of my attention has been on preparing for the trip. Just the packing… I can bring 20 kg (40 pounds) in packing – which is waaay too little for six months in my opinion. So, I'm trying to prioritize right now…_

_Thank you all so much for the feedback!!!! :-D_

_Have a fabulous day!_

_*hugs*_

_Josephin___

**INTERLUDE III**   
  
  
The following weeks passed in a whirl of emotions. Aliandra and Zan spent every second they could together. Aliandra even started to sneak out of the palace at night to spend time with Zan. She never considered how Zan was always waiting for her, as if he knew when she would come.   
  
It hadn't taken him long to figure out that Aliandra was his Soria. That while Aliandra portrayed the quiet and solemn princess at the palace, she was the carefree, laughing free girl at the market. It was his job to know everyone whom Aliandra kept in contact with so he had gotten to know Soria. The real Soria was Aliandra's best friend. To the casual observer they looked very much like each other but he could see the difference clearly. Their eyes weren't the same. Aliandra's eyes were bigger than Soria's, deeper, and her lips were fuller. And even if they had been as similar as two peas, Zan would have figured it out by the difference in their personalities. At first he had suspected that the Soria he had met at the market, the girl he was kissing under the stars, was actually Aliandra's best friend. But he had quickly discarded that thought. It was all in the looks and the stolen glances. Soria looked at him with mild interest, whereas Aliandra's looks were filled with passion and longing. And love.   
  
But he hadn't told her that he knew. He understood why she had done it. She needed to escape the duties of the palace, the chains her father kept her in. She needed to feel what it was like to be a normal person. And if that was what she needed, Zan was going to give it to her. Zan watched her leave in the nights and he quietly followed her in the shadows until he could see her tense shoulders relax and he knew that she felt safe. Then he would approach her and they would escape reality. They spent hours and hours talking and laughing. Under the open sky they were kissing, touching, filling each other with love. They were springing to life.   
  
Aliandra felt more alive then she had ever felt before. She felt like she was walking around on clouds. On numerous occasions she had to struggle to stifle a laugh at dinner because Zan would be standing at the far end of the room making faces at her. She was truly happy for the first time in her life. But one day her father called her into his office and it all ended.   
  
"Aliandra, I would like you to meet your future husband," her father announced, with a self-satisfied smile. He was probably immensely proud of himself for picking her a _suitable_ husband. Aliandra tensed and looked at the man standing beside her father. His eyes were boring into her, but not as Zan's did. Zan's eyes softly eased into her soul, filling her with peace. The eyes of this man were full of conquest and arrogance. On the outside he was Zan's counterpart. Fair-haired, bright blue eyes, tall and lean. It didn't take Aliandra long to realize that he was Zan's counterpart on the inside too.   
"What a wonderful creature," the man said.   
Aliandra swallowed, her eyes skittering between the man and her father. She didn't register the stern and disapproving look her father cast at her for her silence.   
"Maybe you two should get more acquainted," her father said. That snapped Aliandra back to reality. She winced and her hand flung to her forehead. "I'm terribly sorry, but I'm suddenly having this terrible headache. I think I need to lie down."   
Her father's forehead creased in a mixture of doubt and concern. "Are you certain, Aliandra? Vandor's time is very precious."   
  
"I'm so sorry, Mr..."   
"Nera," the man filled in.   
Aliandra could feel the nausea building in her throat. This was preposterous. She didn't even know the full name of the man she was supposed to marry.   
"Mr. Nera," Aliandra continued and forced herself to smile, "I hope we can do this some other time."   
"Well, of course. I wouldn't pass on an opportunity to spend some time with you."   
Aliandra smiled her award-winning smile again and nodded. "Thank you for your understanding and I apologize for the inconvenience."   
She barely stayed long enough to hear the man's reply. Her tears were filling her eyes as she rushed out of the room. A pair of familiar arms stopped her and she fell into his embrace.   
"Shhh," he hushed, consolingly stroking her hair. "Let's go somewhere."   
She sobbed and nodded against his chest and let him lead the way. Not caring where he led her. Her life was over anyway.   
  
"Tell me what happened," Zan coaxed as he gently got her to sit down beside the running stream.   
The tears had stilled and she was staring off into the air, at some point over his shoulder that didn't exist.   
"Good news," she said, the sarcasm dripping from her voice. "My father found me a suitable husband."   
Zan's heart stopped in his chest. "No..." he whispered.   
"His name is Vandor Nera. I don't know him. I don't know what he likes and what he dislikes. And yet I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with him. I'm supposed to share my...bed with him. I'm suppose to be ki...kissing..." her voice broke with contained tears and she looked up into his eyes. "Please save me, Zan."   
He wanted nothing else than to obey her wish. "You don't know how much I wish I could. But...I can't, Aliandra. Your father wouldn't stop until he found us. We would be on the run and when he found us, I would be executed."   
Aliandra let out a heart-breaking sob and covered her face in his shirt, wrapping her arms around his neck.   
"I know," she sobbed, "I know. I would be happy even if it meant being on the run, as long as I was with you. But I couldn't bear with putting you in danger. I couldn't bear losing you."   
She was too upset to notice that she was revealing more and more of her disguise. It was _Soria_ who was in love with Zan. Not Aliandra. It was his response that brought her back to reality.   
"I can't watch you living your life trapped. There is too much life and beauty in your soul to keep you locked up." Zan softly kissed her forehead, his lips continuing down her face, raining kisses all over her face. Kissing away her salty tears. It wasn't until he pulled back and met her wondrous gaze that he realized that he had just revealed what he knew.   
  
"You know," Aliandra whispered. "How long?"   
"Since the day after our first kiss," Zan answered.   
"Why didn't you tell me that you knew?" Aliandra asked.   
Zan ran a finger down the side of her cheek, causing shivers of pleasures to run down her spine and goosebumps to spread over her skin. "Because the role of Soria was too important for you. You needed to be her in order to be happy. They are the only times I see you truly happy. When you are Soria."   
"That's the only time I am truly happy," Aliandra admitted, "When I'm Soria; when I'm with you."   
Zan cradled Aliandra's delicate face in his hands and looked her deeply in the eyes. A look that made her heart flutter erratically in her chest and her breath catch in her throat. "I will never leave you, Aliandra. Wherever you will go, I will follow. I promise you that. No marriage is going to change that."   
"I love you," Aliandra breathed quietly.   
"Nîmre, I love you," Zan said, leaning forward and sealing their emotions with a powerful kiss. 

--------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Aliandra, what is happening?"   
"What do you mean?"   
Soria frowned. "You know what I mean. Do you take me for a complete fool? You are seeing someone!"   
Aliandra laughed lightly. "Soria, I'm supposed to get married in two days. Did it ever cross your mind that maybe I'm seeing Vandor?"   
"No," Soria shook her head, "No, it's not Vandor. There is someone else. You've been asking me to impersonate you for weeks now and your father just recently introduced you to Vandor. Besides, it cannot possibly be _that_ great to visit the market every day."   
"I've made some friends," Aliandra answered, waving her hand over her hair, making it fall down over her slender shoulders. She watched Soria scrunch her nose in disgust in the mirror.   
"With _ordinary_ people?" she asked, as if she was talking about a plague instead of actual people.   
"Yes, with ordinary people," Aliandra answered. How could her friend be so judgmental? She never saw below the surface.   
Soria pouted and put her arms over her chest in defiance. "Well, I don't think you should meet with them anymore. Who knows what kind of diseases you might get?"   
Aliandra sighed at her ignorance. "They're not any different from us, Soria. They just don't have any jewels or boring balls every other night."   
Soria snorted. "They are uncivilized."   
  
"They are real," Aliandra countered. "They _care_ and they live. What are the people of our class doing all day? We feed off other's misery. We entertain ourselves with gossip about other people's misfortune and discussing the latest clothing collection. It's ridiculous."   
Soria stared at her. "What happened to you?"   
"Nothing happened to me," Aliandra answered and pulled off her earrings.   
"You used to be fun," Soria continued.   
"I haven't changed," Aliandra protested weakly.   
"Yes, you have. Now you're just... When was the last time we did something fun together? You are always on the market and I'm left here in the palace, covering your back-"   
"I thought you liked being the princess."   
"I do," Soria sighed, "But I... I don't want you to hang out in the market anymore. I will not cover for you anymore."   
Aliandra quickly turned around in her chair, her eyes big with fear. "No, Soria. Please. You have to cover for me!"   
  
Soria squinted her eyes at Aliandra with suspicion. "You _are_ seeing someone!! Who is it?!"   
"No, Soria. I'm not seeing anyone. Just, please. You have to help me! I need to get out of the palace!"   
Soria shook her head stubbornly. "I'm not helping you until you tell me who you're seeing."   
Aliandra thought fervently. She couldn't tell Soria. Soria couldn't keep a secret of that magnitude. And it was a matter of life and death to keep this secret.   
"Please, Soria."   
Hurt settled itself over Soria's face. "I thought you were my friend. Why can't you tell me?"   
"I can't," Aliandra whispered desperately, "But you are my friend. You are the dearest friend of mine. That's why I need your help."   
Soria shook her head. "No."   
Aliandra kneeled in front of Soria's sitting form. "Please, Soria. Just trust me. I _will_ tell you. Just not right now. It's too dangerous."   
Soria looked into her eyes and then slowly shook her head. "I can't trust you when you don't trust me."   
Irritation flared to life in Aliandra. This was a matter of saving her sanity and Soria was being a stubborn rascal. "You and I both know that you would tell someone. It's not your intention to do so, but you just can't keep quiet."   
Tears sprang up in Soria's eyes and she stared at Aliandra as if she had never seen her before. "Well, if that's how you feel, then I guess you are better off left alone."   
  
With that she rose from the bed and walked towards the door. In the doorway she turned and looked at Aliandra with hurt in her tear-filled eyes. "You know, I counted on you to always be there for me, like I have always been there for you. But I guess I was wrong."   
The door slammed shut and Aliandra sank down on the floor. What had she done?   
  


-------------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Isn't he just gorgeous?"   
"Yes, he is."   
"Yes."   
"Very gorgeous."   
"Just look at that body. And those eyes! Have you seen those eyes?!"   
"Oh, I love it when he looks at me with those eyes!"   
"He doesn't look at you! He only looks at me!"   
"Whatever, Trandia."   
"I promise you one thing, girls. I'm gonna make him mine!"   
Laughter. "Yeah, right. Like that would ever happen!"   
"Oh, you don't think I'm pretty enough?"   
"Oh, you're pretty enough all right. But anyone with eyes can see that Zan has his interest set on the princess."   
Snort. "The princess? Well, that can never happen anyway! Besides, the princess is getting married to another man in two days."   
"That doesn't mean Zan and the princess can't be lovers."   
"Well, I'm gonna change that. I'm gonna make sure that he sees no one besides me."   
"This is going to be entertaining..." 

-----------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Hello, Zan."   
Zan snapped his head away from watching Aliandra walking in the garden, picking flowers. He awarded the blond girl with two seconds of his attention.   
"Hello."   
"Don't you recognize me?"   
Zan frowned and turned to look at her again. She was in a black dress with a white apron. She was obviously one of the maids and he couldn't claim that he remembered her.   
"_Should_ I recognize you?" he asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice. His head turned back to Aliandra. He didn't like it when people were disturbing him at his post.   
"Of course you do," the girl answered and slowly traced a long nail down his bare arm. He shot her another irritated look.   
"I'm sorry, miss. But I don't know who you are and I'm currently on my shift. So we'll have to have this chit chat some other time."   
Trandia was known for her emotional outbursts. But she also had an iron control and she had to use a great deal of that to keep check on the anger that flared up inside of her at Zan's nonchalance.   
"But Zan," she pouted, "It's Trandia."   
Zan sighed inwardly. Who was this annoying person and what was she still doing here? Was she incapable of taking a hint?   
"I'm sorry. I still don't remember you. Could we talk about this later?"   
Trandia was fuming at the chilliness with which he was callously brushing her off. 'You just wait, Zan. After I'm done with you, you will be on your knees begging me to kiss you,' she thought, stomping off.


	43. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**   
  
  
Her mind felt muffled, like she was wrapped in cotton. But the cotton wasn't soft as it usually is. It was sticky and rough. It was scraping against her mind, making her want to scream until the feeling disappeared. But she couldn't scream. She couldn't remember how. She knew that there was something she should do, but she was just so tired. Drained. She couldn't feel anything except the pain in her head. Vaguely, she knew that she should feel other parts of her body, but she couldn't figure out how that was supposed to feel. She didn't know which feeling she was looking for.   
"Liz..."   
Her thoughts jumped at the voice. It was soft. It was sifting through her damaged mind, trying to comfort her. But even its soft texture was painful to her damaged mind.   
"Liz..."   
  
She knew that voice and she wanted to respond so badly but she didn't know how.   
"I'm here."   
And she knew. And her eyes opened.   
"Max," she croaked. She could feel the cold hard floor press into her cheek as her gaze looked over the concrete floor. A prickling sensation that started in her shoulders spread down through her whole body, making her body aware of its position. She was on the floor in a white room. In one terrifying moment it all came flooding back to her and she wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She wanted to die.   
"Max..."   
His name was spoken in a sob, her voice small and lost. The sound of his name disappeared in the devouring silence of the empty room.   
  
She could feel herself slipping and she tried desperately to cling to the thin thread that could take her to reality, but the pull was too strong and she was too weak. Her eyes closed, a tear rolling down her cheek and his name was lost on her lips. 

------------------------------------------

  
  
"Elizabeth..."   
So far away, yet so loud.   
"...conscious....out of her system..."   
Why couldn't they leave her alone? She just wanted to sleep.   
"...up...give her something."   
She vaguely felt someone grab her arm and something penetrating her skin. Slowly, everything started to clear inside of her, like a fog dissipated.   
"Elizabeth, wake up!"   
The voice was harsh and cold and she really didn't want to comply, but she found herself slowly opening her eyes. The blinding light forced her to close her eyes again and she heard someone moan. It wasn't until he spoke that she realized that it had been her.   
"Elizabeth, wake up now or we are going to have to sedate you again and you don't want that, do you?"   
  
She couldn't think. Did she want that? She slowly opened her eyes again and blinked repeatedly until her eyes had somewhat grown accustomed to the light.   
"Ah, welcome back, Elizabeth," the voice said and slowly the contours crystallized in front of her and she recognized the man, the doctor, who had spoken to her earlier. "Sleep well?"   
"Wh..." But her throat was just too dry. It felt like sandpaper was being brushed against sandpaper and it hurt.   
"We have some simple tests for you today as a warm up. Unfortunately, the future tests might not be as pleasant. Bad for you, good for us."   
She watched him nod to a man standing to his right and suddenly she was moving. Her whole body tensed in fear of what was happening. She was so afraid that she couldn't think a coherent thought. She was merely acting on instincts. Survival.   
"Relax, Elizabeth," the man said with a cold smile.   
  
She gathered her strength and looked down on her body. She was lying on a bed which they had just partially elevated, placing her in a sitting position. She was wearing a thin hospital gown and her wrists were restrained to the bed with metal fetters, as were her ankles. She watched as a monitor went up in front of her bed.   
  
She mentally flinched as she felt a pair of cold hands against her temples but she couldn't move. She couldn't escape. She had been deprived of her free will. Something was placed on her head, creating a pressure against her temples. She wanted to scream at them, to demand to know what they were doing to her, but she didn't know how to form the words. She didn't know how to speak with the tarnished state of the insides of her throat.   
"I want you to look at the monitor over there," the man whispered and Liz closed her eyes against the feeling of his hot breath behind her ear, his voice making her nauseous. "That's all you have to do. Easy enough, right?"   
Liz slowly opened her eyes again and looked at the monitor in front of her. What was going to happen? She heard a loud beeping sound, the sound so sudden that it gave her a fright and, had her body responded to the impulses of her brain, she would have jumped in her seat.   
  
"Just relax, Elizabeth," the man said and the second the last letter crossed his lips, images started to flicker over the screen. At first they were images of nature: green meadows in the summer, the soft lapping of water against an ocean shore. A sunset. A desert. Snow. A waterfall. Then animals were added: kittens playing in the high grass, leopards running over the terrain in Africa, baby birds in nests being fed with worm by their mother.   
  
Children.   
  
Children playing in the water. Children playing in a sandbox. A little baby boy kissing a little baby girl squarely on the lips. A sleeping child. Children laughing, singing.   
  
And then the screen went black. Liz automatically relaxed, and then tensed again. She had expected something really bad. But the images had actually made her feel better about herself. Why did that make her feel even more at unease? Being strapped down in a bed while watching puppies and singing children didn't really give off a fuzzy warm feeling.   
  
As if to confirm the feelings of unease that was striking through her the monitor flared to life again. And she was assaulted with completely different images. First there was an image of someone cutting through raw meat lying on a table. The image changed to blend together with the shrill sound of a pig being killed and then sliced open. Liz closed her eyes, feeling the nausea build up in her throat.   
"I suggest you keep looking, Elizabeth," the man threatened quietly. There was something about the way he said it that made her certain that something terrible would happen if she didn't look. She had already experienced a lot at the hands of these cold humans that held her captive. She swallowed back the nausea and looked at the monitor again. Images of darkness and death flashed before her.   
  
"Please," she whimpered as a child stumbled and fell, scraping the side of his cheek, ripping the skin open, and staining his Mickey Mouse T-shirt red with blood.   
But Liz's plea was ignored. Tears stung her eyes as she watched a child struggled under the water's surface to reach up to the inviting air.   
"What are you doing?!" she cried, her voice hoarse and strained, as she watched the child give up and lifelessly float to the bottom.   
"Just watch," the man said slowly.   
"I don't want to watch anymore! Why should I watch any more of this?! Did you hurt those childr-"   
Her words caught in her throat as a familiar face went up on the monitor. A fear stronger than anything she'd ever felt gripped her.   
  
"Nooo..." she whispered, hoping that her eyes were deceiving her. On the screen she saw his face. He was happy and laughing. He was walking down the road, the road that was now so familiar to her. The road that lead to the CrashDown. By his side Maria was walking, giggling, her arms over her head as she was pulling her hair into a loose bun at the base of her scalp. Liz forgot to breathe. Tears were silently running down her cheeks as she watched him walk down the street. Watched his carefree face. His warm smile and his soft laughter. Her whole body tensed in anticipation of what was going to be displayed to her next. Her heart stopped in her chest as she watched a car pull up beside him and Maria on the street. Her blood froze in her veins as she watched two men in suits walk out of the cars and raise guns towards Max and Maria. As if by some unknown force, her hands and legs began to struggle in their confines, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the monitor.   
  
"Nooo!" she cried, her voice breaking on several levels with tears and soreness.   
The sound of the gunfire ripped through her body and she watched Max's smile slip of his face and momentary surprise drape over his beautiful features before changing into pain. The men had moved up from behind him and he hadn't anticipated the attack. The headset that was placed on top of her head registered everything she was feeling, feeding the information into a computer.   
"Nooo!!!" she screamed, struggling to get out of the bed as she with blurry vision watched blood starting to drench through Max's shirt, just over his heart. Animalistic sounds of sorrow slipped over her lips as she watched him stumble and then sag to the ground, where Maria was already laying, her eyes staring unseeingly and deadly into the monitor.   
"So you see. Neither Max Evans nor Maria Deluca are going to save you. We have taken care of them as well as Isabel Evans and Michael Guerin. There is no need in fighting us anymore. We will keep you here as long as we want to and it will only be for longer if you resist." 

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The long dark-haired man walked into the small office room, slumping down in one of the chairs. The man sitting behind the desk raised one eyebrow in question.   
"Nothing," the dark-haired man answered.   
The man behind the desk slammed his fist into the wooden surface. "Damnit!!"   
He stood up and rounded the desk. The dark-haired man watched him start pacing the floor. "How difficult can it be to keep track of one man?" he mumbled.   
The man in the chair sighed. "We have some incompetent people to eliminate."   
"Damn straight we have," the pacing man snapped, "There's no sign, no trace at all?"   
The sitting man shook his head in negative. "Since his departure from Roswell ten days ago, there has been no trace of him."   
"No witnesses? Nothing?!"   
"Nothing."   
"He can't just fucking disappear!"   
  
"What do you want me to do with the men?"   
"Fire them, erase their minds. Whatever. Just get them out of my sight!!"   
"And Elizabeth Parker?"   
"What were the recent reports on her special abilities?"   
"She hasn't shown any signs of any powers since we started to gradually remove the block in her cerebral cortex. It might be the sedative interfering."   
"And you're sure it's originated from her cerebral cortex?"   
"If her powers had not been immobilized, why hasn't she used them?"   
"Ever heard of deception and planning? She might be planning an attack. She's smart. We have reports of that."   
"I don't really think that's what she's doing. She's really weak and she hasn't shown any strange responses at all."   
"Then remove the anesthetic and keep her clear. But I want the security tripled. She might try something and she is far too precious to lose. We have a lot of experimentation left to do."   
"Are we still leaning towards the brain wash?"   
"Of course, how else are we going to be able to control her and use her to our advantage?"   
"All right. Consider it done."


	44. Interlude IV

**INTERLUDE IV**   
  
  
"Ah, londrì Aliandra. What a coincidence to meet you here!"   
Aliandra gave him a polite nod. "Mr. Nera."   
"Aliandra, please, you are to be my wife; call me Vandor."   
Aliandra forced herself to smile. "Of course. Thank you, Vandor."   
Vandor smiled and sat down in one of the chairs on the terrace. "Don't you want to join me up here in the chairs?"   
It was late evening and the stars had begun to show on the dark night sky. Aliandra was sitting in the grass, putting together bouquets of flowers she had picked earlier that day.   
"No, thank you. I think it's much more comfortable to sit on the ground," she answered.   
"Really?" Vandor asked. "Well, then. I can't stop you, can I?"   
"I guess not," Aliandra answered, wishing with all her might that someone would come and rescue her from this boring man.   
"Why are you not with your friend...Soria was it? I believe I saw her in the ball room earlier."   
"I wanted to get these bouquets ready," Aliandra answered evasively. She barely exchanged two words with her friend since their fight a week before. But that wasn't exactly something she wanted to become common knowledge.   
"Ah..."   
  
Aliandra rolled her eyes, relieved that she was sitting with her back towards Vandor. What a great conversationalist. She slowly stood up, placing the bouquets in the crook of her arm and smiled in Vandor's direction.   
"Well, thank you for your company, Vandor. But I think I'm going to retire."   
She started to walk but his hand on her elbow stopped her. His touch chilled her to the bones. "Aliandra. I feel like you are pulling away from me."   
There was never anything to pull away from to begin with, Aliandra thought, annoyed.   
She laughed lightly. "No, Vandor. I'm just tired. I need to get some sleep. Big day tomorrow."   
"Our wedding," Vandor said, with victory in his voice.   
Aliandra turned her head away from him as a grimace of pain flew over her face. As if she didn't know. Tomorrow was her wedding and the last day of her free life, her first day in a lifelong prison.   
"Yes, and I want to be thoroughly rested," Aliandra answered.   
"Yes, we wouldn't want you to fall asleep on your wedding night," Vandor said. Aliandra's stomach turned and the disgust those words triggered made her physically ill. "Why don't we get into the mood for that one right now?"   
Aliandra barely had time to register what his words meant before he had turned her around and his cold and damp lips were pressing down on hers. She pressed her hands in his chest to push him away, but he crushed her tightly to him. She could feel his tongue trying to break through her tightly pressed together lips. Her stomach was turning and she felt like she was about to throw up. With one hard shove she pushed him away.   
  
"Why are you so resistant, my princess?" Vandor asked, his voice dark and husky.   
"I'm tired. I need to go," Aliandra whispered. She was close to tears and the last thing she wanted to do was cry in front of him   
"Yes, rest for tomorrow. I'm looking forward to marrying you," Vandor said slowly, his fingers lingering at the side of her cheek. Aliandra took a step back, away from his snakelike fingers and nodded.   
"Yes, see you tomorrow, Vandor," she said, before she walked down the stone stairs with one destination in mind. The stream. She needed to get away. She could feel his eyes on her the entire time, following her and it made her shudder. And the tears came. The last couple of feet, she ran, her dress billowing out around her, threatening to trip her. She tried to get the taste of him out of her mouth by violently rubbing the back of her hand against her lips. She stumbled forward in one of the bushes and hurled. Her whole body was trembling. She leaned back on her heels and fresh tears tumbled down her cheeks. What had she done to deserve such a cruel fate?   
  
But that wasn't even the worst thing. The one thing she had expected to be there for her, to lighten her burden, wasn't. Since Soria had decided that she wasn't going to cover for Aliandra anymore, Aliandra had been forced to cut off all private contact with Zan. She had barely spoken to him since her fight with Soria had started. She saw him every day, but she never got a chance to talk to him, to feel his arms around her, to laugh with him, to feel his protective hands gently thread through her hair or his warm lips moving against hers.   
  
And to top it all off, there was this girl. Aliandra had done a little research of her own. Her name was Trandia and she was one of the maids. She was beautiful with soft blonde curls, full red lips, crystal blue eyes, and a curvy body. From what Aliandra had found out, Trandia was a man-eater, playboy disguised as a woman, and her aim was currently set on Zan. It seemed as though every time Aliandra turned around, there Trandia was, clinging all over Zan.   
  
The most frustrating thing about it was that Aliandra couldn't stop Trandia from doing it. She was allowed to pursue Zan. They were, after all, of the same class. And it wasn't really as though Zan and she had a future. She was to be married the next day and it would certainly put an end to their relationship.   
  
Still, it hurt. She wanted to be the one adored by Zan. She wanted to be the one who laughed with him. She wanted to marry _him_, have _his_ children. She wanted to grow old with him.   
  
A beeping sound pulled her out of her reverie and she saw one of the zoris she had come to adore stumble out of its lair at the base of the tree trunk. It was the same zori that Zan had put in her hands weeks before. Now the baby was almost full-grown.   
"Hi sweetie," Aliandra coaxed and the zori's short stubby tail started to move back and forth with great speed as it saw Aliandra. It walked up into Aliandra's lap and curled up; its purring filled the silence around them.   
"Ali?"   
Aliandra closed her eyes and swallowed back the fresh tears that rose at his voice.   
"Are you all right?"   
"If I asked you now to take me away, would you?" Aliandra asked.   
Silence filled the air. It was so quiet that she could hear the pounding of her own heart in her ears. After a couple of seconds she heard him move behind her and he came into her line of vision and sat down in front of her. His eyes were full of sorrow and regret as he looked into her eyes. He lifted his hand to her face and slowly brushed the tears away.   
"Yes," he said.   
Aliandra's heart leaped in her chest; she never expected him to say yes. She dropped her eyes.   
"He kissed me today."   
  
She heard him inhale slowly and she looked up at him. His eyes were trained on her face, waiting for her to continue.   
"And I realized that I would rather be dead than live my entire life with him. Locked up. Trapped."   
"Then I'll take you away," Zan said slowly.   
"Is that possible?" Aliandra asked, hope in her voice.   
Zan didn't let go of her eyes and answered her truthfully, "It's going to be difficult but it's not impossible. You know what that would mean, right? You would never see your mother or father again. You would always be on the run, looking over your shoulder."   
"Yes, but I would be with you," Aliandra said adamantly.   
Zan smiled sadly. "Yes, you would."   
"PRINCESS ALIANDRA!!"   
  
Both Zan and Aliandra's heads jerked in the direction of the calls. They could hear several other voices come together.   
"How long have I been gone?" Aliandra whispered with fear in her voice.   
"Three hours," Zan answered.   
"Oh my," Aliandra put the zori back on the ground and stood up, taking Zan's hand. "Don't let them find me."   
Zan's frowned. "But, I need more time to organize this, Ali. Otherwise they will find us too easily."   
"No, I don't mean escaping tonight," Aliandra whispered, the voices of the search squad getting closer. "Just hide me for a couple of hours. I can't go back there. Not yet. If we can't succeed in running away, this will be my last day in freedom."   
"We will succeed," Zan said with conviction.   
"Please, Zan," Aliandra begged. There was really no need for begging. Zan would do whatever she wanted anyway.   
"Come here," he said, taking her hand.   
She held on tightly to his hand as he pulled her with her, towards the stream.   
  
"They will look everywhere, except one place," Zan explained hurriedly, keeping his voice down.   
He tugged on her hand and she stumbled after him, her long dress getting caught in her legs. Her eyes widened in surprise as Zan started to walk into the stream. He turned around and looked at her when she stopped.   
"Come on, Ali," he said softly.   
"It's too cold," Aliandra whispered.   
Zan smiled. One of those rare smiles that made her heart beat at a double speed. "I'll keep you warm." Just as soon as the sentence had left his lips, she felt a warmth spread from the hand that was connected to his, up her arm, and throughout her body all the way down to her freezing toes.   
"How did you...?"   
"Hurry, they will be here soon," Zan interrupted.   
Aliandra took a deep breath and summoned her strength and then stepped into the water. The water filled her shoes and it was cold. Ice-cold. She grimaced and her body instantly started to shiver.   
"Aliandra?"   
  
Aliandra took another deep breath then started to walk deeper into the water. The water soaked her dress, wrapped around her legs. The water surface reached her waist, her breasts and finally stopped at her collarbone. Zan wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her the last few feet towards a tree that had roots hanging down in the water, creating something that resembled a dome. It was the perfect hiding place.   
"Are you cold?" Zan asked as they came to a stop under the trees. The leaves were shaking softly in the wind and the water was lapping around their bodies.   
She nodded, her clattering teeth making it difficult for her to speak. Zan pulled her closer to him so her body was flush against his. He dipped his head and tasted her lips. Her eyes drifted closed and she let the sensations he created fill her senses. She felt how he somehow warmed her from the inside out, the heat starting in his lips and moving out to her every cell. They were forced to pull away as air became an issue.   
  
"Are you...are you a healer?" Aliandra asked.   
Zan nodded slowly.   
"I thought there were no healers left," Aliandra said breathlessly.   
"Just me," Zan answered.   
They grew quiet as they heard the voices from the search squad get closer. Zan moved them closer to the tree and gestured for Aliandra to move further down under the surface. The ice-cold water was now touching her lower lip, but it wasn't making her cold any longer. She could feel the constant energy Zan kept feeding her body to keep her warm. Twenty minutes of quiet breathing later, the voices grew quiet and Zan and Aliandra both relaxed.   
"We can get up now," Zan said and started to pull away from Aliandra. But she held on to him, preventing him from moving.   
  
"Aliandra?" Zan's concerned eyes moved to her face and he frowned in confusion at the darkness of her eyes. "Are you all right? Are you still cold?"   
"No," Aliandra shook her head, "I'm not cold."   
Zan wasn't really aware of what happened after that. Aliandra more or less attacked him. Her lips clamped down on his and her hands moved under his shirt. Zan managed to pull them both up on the shore and dry their bodies, but the desire had finally been awakened. The desire that had been simmering just below the surface since the first day they met, and on this last day of freedom, she wanted to experience it all. She didn't want the man who was to be her husband the next day, whom she didn't know, to be her first. She wanted Zan. She wanted to know what it felt like to be touched, adored, caressed and loved by someone who loved her as unconditionally as Zan did and who she loved with the same intensity. Under the stars, with the soft lapping of the water against the shore, a princess and a soldier crossed boundaries they weren't allowed to cross and felt feelings they weren't allowed to feel.   
  
Under the stars, Zan and Aliandra committed themselves to each other. Sealed their love. They formed a connection stronger than anything else, letting their love guide their way. And in the throws of passion, in the midst of intense pleasure something was created. Something that would be a part of sealing their tragic fate.


	45. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41**   
  
  
_When your body wears out, the natural progression is a gradual deterioration of the mind._   
  
That was the plan.   
  
If they could wear her out, make her weak, her mind would be feeble enough to be satisfactorily susceptive to the brain wash. They would indirectly replace her ordinary dreams with nightmares, just by changing her surroundings and killing the life inside of her.   
  
It was all done strategically.   
  
One: Insert doubts into the subject's head that an escape is possible.   
Two: Remove all subjects that the subject carries some sort of affection towards, thereby demolishing all lingering hopes of rescue. Consequently, the subject will have nothing to long for on the outside.   
Three: Convince the subject more forcefully that emancipation is non-existent and the most appealing solution is to cooperate.   
  
After a while the subject would be too weak and too indifferent to care about what happens. The subject will comply with the wishes of its captors only to avoid aversive punishment. Some would call it torture. The men at the facility called it _education_. 

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Her room was dark. Pitch dark. It looked like the inside of a grave. That was exactly what it was like. She could be dead for all she knew.   
  
Buried alive under layers and layers of damp soil.   
  
She wasn't even sure she was still living. If she was, she must be in hell. She hardly registered the cool breeze chilling her bare skin. Her body responded to the icy breeze with violent shivers.   
  
Yesterday it had been clammy and hot. Today it was cold. However, she barely noted the difference. Her main purpose, her _only_ purpose, was to stay awake so that she wouldn't see the dreams. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his face. His beautiful face contorted in pain before he sank down to the pavement.   
  
Dead.   
  
But she was so tired and her body wanted to escape the never-ending torture of being held in a room where the temperature was only slightly above zero and her body was merely clad in a tank top and panties. It would be much easier to escape the physical pain by cutting off consciousness. But if the unconscious ruled, the mental pain would take over. She had watched him die over and over again, and she couldn't see it one more time.   
  
But her mind was pounding and her eyes were stinging from the constant empty staring she did into the darkness. She couldn't rest her eyes for a second, because then his pained face would return. If her eyes were open, she could paint his face in the darkness. His face as it was before. Smiling, laughing. Beautiful.   
  
Alive.   
  
Her mind gradually succumbed to the fatigue and her eyes blinked repeatedly before they closed.   
  
_The rain was striking her face. Hitting her hard. Drop after drop. __  
  
__She was on her back and she couldn't move. She was only able to move her head. She angled her head to look at the rest of her body. She was wearing hospital scrubs, which were clinging moistly to her skin. Her eyes traveled to her hands. Her arms were aligned along the sides of her body, but she couldn't see her hands. They disappeared into the mud. __  
  
__Her mouth filled with a metallic taste and she was quelled with the instinctive need to spit. She turned her head to the side and tried to open her mouth. But she couldn't. __  
  
__Panic. __  
  
__Raw, cold panic surged through her. Why couldn't she move? __  
  
_**_I'm gonna kill you, that's a promise._**_  
  
__Her head snapped upwards at the sound of the voice echoing through her head. Fearfully, her eyes flickered from side to side. But all she could see was complete darkness. __  
  
__Fluid of some kind was now moving down her throat and she turned her head to the side to prevent it from clogging her throat and choking her. __  
  
_**_We'll be together again before you know it._**_  
  
__The voice seeped through her surroundings, surrounding her. The words bounced around her and lingered in the air. A smothering weight she hadn't even been aware of was dispelled and air flew into her strained lungs as she opened her mouth with a hoarse cry. The next second she was on her side, coughing and spitting, ridding her mouth of the red substance that filled it… her blood. __  
  
__She lay there for a while, mud clinging to the side of her face, trying to catch her breath. Her hands, covered in mud, were now resting against her stomach. __  
  
_**_Well, we can't let a bastard child like that live, can we?_**_  
  
__With a groan of pain, she rolled up into sitting position. The darkness was hard around her. Menacing, and so thick that no light dared to penetrate it. __  
  
_**_Aliandra..._**_  
  
__Her head whipped to the sound of the voice and she saw the contours of someone lying on the ground beside her. The darkness had crawled closer. It was now so dark that she couldn't see her hand in front of her. But she could see him. __  
  
__Her mind screamed out in familiarity. She had been here before so many times… in her dreams, but also in reality. She had watched him die over and over again. She reached out with her hand towards him, but was interrupted by another voice. Slightly different. __  
  
_**_Liz..._**_  
  
__She turned her head and he was there. Max. He was standing no more than two feet away from her. Her mind whispered his name and she tried to move her legs. But they were glued to the ground. Like strong roots chain the tree to one particular spot. __  
  
_**_Ali..._**_  
  
__Her head turned back to the familiar form of the man on the ground. She turned her head back to Max. She could feel their anguish slash through her. The powerful emotions would have bowled her over if her feet had not been chained to the ground. __  
  
__In that instant, when she was trying to decide which way to turn, the sky opened and the rain came down in waves of cold water. __  
  
__The man on the ground started to twist in pain and, agonized, she watched Max fall to his knees, his head bent. She wanted to scream. She wanted to make it stop. But she couldn't. __  
  
_Hold her up._  
  
__She whimpered as she fell to her knees. __  
  
_**_You have to want to live._**_  
  
_Is she still unconscious?   
  
She's coming to, sir._  
  
__The water was washing over her, but it couldn't wash away the dried blood on her hands. __  
  
_**_I need you to be strong. I'll come back for you._**   
  
And just like that, the mud under her body was transformed into hard white tiles. The darkness disappeared and was replaced with a painful brightness. The water was still falling on her, although it wasn't rain any longer.   
  
She started to scream when her senses snapped back into focus.   
  
"Nooo!! What have you done to him?! What did you do?!! Let go of me!"   
"Help me hold her, she is too strong!!"   
"_Let go of me!!_"   
"Do we have any sedatives?"   
"No, we have to keep her completely clear. The sedative is not to interfere."   
As her body was struggling to get away, she vaguely registered that she was in a shower. She felt strange hands grabbing her bare skin to keep her from getting away.   
"Where's my baby?!!"   
"She delusional."   
She struggled in their hands and kicked backwards with her foot. A small sense of satisfaction surged through her as she heard a yelp of pain behind her.   
"Elizabeth, calm down! Brown, get the boss!"   
"Yes, sir!"   
  
"What have you done to him? I want to see him!!"   
"Elizabeth, listen to me. There is no use in you fighting us. There is no one out there waiting for you. No one knows you exist. You are dead to the world so you might as well cooperate with us."   
"No!!" she cried forcefully and tried to wiggle out of their grip.   
"Clothes."   
She felt more hands on her naked skin and then she felt some fabric going around her, rasping against the open wounds on her back. The gown clung to her still wet skin. They hadn't even dried her off before.   
"I want to see my baby!! What have you done to him?! Where is he?"   
"There is no baby. You were never pregnant and you didn't give birth-"   
"NO! You stole him from me-"   
"Elizabeth, calm down or we are going to be forced to sedate y- Brown, what did he say?"   
"He's on his way, sir."   
"Good."   
  
"You are fucking liars all of you!!! Why did you kill him? Did you kill him? Why?!!"   
"What is she talking about?"   
"She's hallucinating about some baby and that guy Max."   
"Max? Where's Max? Do you have him here? I want to see him?!!"   
"Should we really wait for the boss? She seems pretty out of it..."   
"_LET GO OF ME!!!_"   
  
Suddenly, there were no people within ten feet of Liz. Dull thuds echoed through the room as heavy bodies hit the walls. Screams filled the air as the running water turned scorching hot, burning into the skin of the men lying in the danger-zone. The leaden door melted and men started screaming when their clothes caught fire. There was no escape. Everything and everyone in her surroundings was doomed, because now she was in control.


	46. Interlude V

_Hi everyone! _

_I'm so nervous right now because in less than a week I'll be going to Australia. So, because of that I'm going to update as much as I can today. Then you have something to read during the time it takes me to get an internet connection in Australia and – of course – the time it takes to write a new chapter ;-)_

_Thank you *so* much for the feedback!!!_

_Take care__ everyone!_

_*hugs*_

_Josephin___

**INTERLUDE V**   
  
  
It wasn't until early morning, that Zan and Aliandra left their own private haven. Aliandra felt more alive than she ever had, but her feelings were easily subdued with what she knew would happen in a couple of hours.   
"Na nothríe vir," Zan whispered and softly brushed his lips against hers. His heart ached. This girl had given herself to him and it had been even more beautiful than he ever thought imaginable. To be forced to leave her outside her balcony with the knowledge that she was to be wed to another man a couple of hours later was like a sharp knife cutting through his heart, stabbing him repeatedly. As he saw the tears begin to roll down her cheeks he wanted kill each and every person that made her cry like that.   
"Please don't go," she whispered, even though the both knew that he had to go.   
"I'll be back. I have to take care of some things," Zan said softly, his fingers softly threading through her soft strands of silky brown hair. "We'll be together again before you know it."   
She nodded, but her face was still dubious. "I hope so."   
"Hey," he cradled her cheek against his hand and forced her to look at him. "I need you to be strong. I'll come back for you."   
A sob broke over her lips and she nodded again.   
"Now, try to get some sleep," he whispered and leaned down and gave her a lingering kiss.   
She took a deep, shuddering breath before she reluctantly turned around and walked into her bedroom. She held Zan's gaze for a couple of seconds before turning around and heading off to the bathroom to get out of her dress.   
  
Zan was just about to start walking away as the sharp sound of a twig breaking caught his attention. With feline movements he quietly moved in the direction of the sound, casting occasional quick glances behind him towards Aliandra's window to make sure that it wasn't just a diversion tactic to get him away from Aliandra. Behind one of the bushes he caught a blond head hiding and he felt his whole world crash to the ground.   
"Trandia?! What are you doing here?!" he hissed.   
The blonde curls of the girl who had been all over him lately bobbed up and looked at him innocently. "I could ask you the same thing," she said venomously.   
"I'm doing my job," Zan snapped, silently hoping that she hadn't seen too much.   
"Ohh... I didn't know copulation with the princess was part of your job," she quipped, a smug smile draping over her face.   
All color drained from Zan's face.   
"Buuut... I'm willing to compromise here," Trandia continued, reaching out with her hand and slowly tracing the exposed skin along his poorly closed shirt with one of her long fingers.   
"What do you want?" Zan asked, anger in his voice.   
"It's quite simple actually. I want you."   
  
"No," Zan stated simply.   
"Or," Trandia continued, ignoring Zan's reply, but the flash of anger in her eyes revealed that she hadn't missed it, "your dear princess' father and _husband_ will be informed of some highly interesting aspects about their innocent princess' double life."   
"You leave her alone," Zan threatened, his voice low and dangerous as he stepped closer to Trandia.   
Trandia swallowed, but she wouldn't let him intimidate her.   
"I will, if you do what I want," Trandia answered.   
"Why would you want to be with someone you forced to be with you?" Zan asked incredulously.   
"Ah, you will want to be with me of your free will. I just have to take away that spell that little princess of yours has placed over you."   
"It's called love and I will never stop loving her. Know this, Trandia. I might agree to your proposal, but I will execute it with the same passion as I have while cleaning the pig sty."   
Trandia's eyes darkened with anger. "You better watch what you say, Zan. Or else, some information might just accidentally slip from my lips." 

---------------------------------------------------------

  
  
Two days had passed since the sermon. Two days had passed since the night of passion with Zan out by the stream. Two days of humiliation had gone by. Of embarrassment. Of sorrow, pain, hopelessness and loneliness. It hadn't seemed to matter too much to her husband that she had been almost completely unresponsive as he had completed their wedding vows on their wedding night. She had lain under him, imagining his hands to be Zan's. Imagining that it was Zan who was touching parts of her body that were only Zan's to touch. She felt as if Vandor was poisoning her body, littering what was growing inside of her. Because she and Zan had not only confirmed their love for each other that night; they had also created a child. Aliandra was pregnant with Zan's child. If Zan succeeded in taking her away from this bottomless desolate existence that was sucking the life out of her, they would be their own little family. But if he failed, the child would grow up in the palace. Weighed down by the duties, believing that Vandor was its father. Never knowing about Zan.   
  
Aliandra was merely going through the motions. She was like a statue and everyone would have noticed if they had only paid attention. The only one who saw the difference was Zan. He watched over her day and night, as soon as he could get away from Trandia's traitorous hands. But he was sure that Aliandra noticed that Trandia was all over him. He could visibly see another piece of her die every time she saw Trandia move around him. Flirting with him. But the hardest thing he had to do was to actually respond to Trandia. To return her smiles, to talk to her. He knew that if he didn't he would put Aliandra in jeopardy and if they were to get out of this, if his plan was going to work, he needed to put up a strong facade and pretend that he was putty in Trandia's hand. He needed to fool her, so that she wouldn't tell anyone. If only it didn't hurt so much to watch Aliandra's eyes shine with unshed tears. He so desperately wanted to go to her and tell her, to assure her that there was nothing between Trandia and him, and that his plans were almost finished. Soon they would be able to leave. He snapped his head up towards the door as he heard the door-handle being pressed down. His eyes caught hers for a brief second before she turned her face away and began to walk towards the dining room. She looked sick, which made him even more concerned.   
  
He followed her from the distance that made her feel safe, yet not suffocated by his presence. He didn't know how much she wanted him to come closer, to kiss her or just hold her hand.   
"Londrì Aliandra. What do you wish to eat today?" one of the servants asked.   
"I'm not hungry," Aliandra said, and Zan took an instinctive step forward at the weak tone of her voice before he caught himself. "But I would love something to drink."   
"Yes, princess. Right away." The servant excused itself with a bow and disappeared off into the kitchen.   
They were both painfully aware that they were now alone. And they were both trying very hard to not let it show that they knew. Aliandra slowly moved over to the window and stopped there. Staring out, with a far off look on her face.   
"It's a beautiful day today," she said wistfully.   
Zan looked around himself in confusion to see if someone else had entered the room. But there was no one else.   
  
"Yes, it is," he answered slowly, cautiously.   
"They say it's going to rain soon," she continued.   
Zan looked at her intently, trying to read her. She was trying to tell him something.   
"I heard that the sun is going to shine through soon," he said.   
"Really? I didn't hear that," she said, her voice dropping.   
"I think it will be sunny tomorrow. And the evening will be wonderful. The wind will still at dawn and the stars will break out in the sky."   
She closed her eyes against the tears of relief in her eyes and he knew that she had gotten his message. It was going to happen tomorrow evening. They were going to escape.   
"That sounds wonderful," she breathed, "I will be sure to take a stroll in the evening then."   
"At dawn," he said softly, "I would recommend it."   
"Here is your juice, londrì Aliandra."   
Zan stepped back in the shadows and Aliandra gave the servant a grateful smile as she accepted the glass. 

---------------------------------------------------------

  
  
But something went terribly wrong. A girl who didn't know what serious repercussions her jealousy could have for the objects of her rage spoke and revealed the truth without thinking. The word spread and soon it reached the wrong person.   
  
And the rain came. By dinner it was softly raining. As the day turned into afternoon, the soft rain also turned into a furious rain that pelted the ground. The wind had grown sharper, angrier, and it was howling around the palace. When the day turned into evening, it was almost a full-blown storm outside.   
  
Aliandra shivered and put on another cardigan over her dress. A small bag was hidden under the bed, the only clue to what her plans for the evening were. Her husband was away on a meeting with her father. The palace was filled with servants and maids, but most of them were downstairs, cleaning up after dinner. He was close by. She could feel his presence. She threw another glance at the rain through the window. How were they going to be able to escape in this weather? She looked down at her neatly folded hands in her lap. How was she going to be able to move in her long dress? But she had to admit that it was the best circumstances to run away in. The rain would hide them from unwanted eyes.   
  
A commotion outside her door made her shoot up from her sitting position. Her hands started to shake with nervousness. This was it. She didn't know what Zan had planned, but she felt it deep in her bones. This was it.   
  
The door flew open and her eyes locked with Zan's.   
"Londrì Aliandra. We need to get you out of here," he said hurriedly.   
Aliandra looked past Zan and found the other protectors standing in her doorway, looking around them.   
"What is happening?" she asked, putting the right amount of worry in her voice. She caught a faint smile from Zan from the corner of her eye before he responded but his voice revealed nothing of the true situation.   
"We have received word that someone is planning an attack on the palace. We need to hurry!" He turned towards the men in the doorway. "Check the hallways and the adjoining rooms! I want every door and window locked!"   
The men scurried off and Zan quickly stepped up to Aliandra. He took her hand in his and looked her deeply in the eyes. "You need to pack some clothes. We might have to hide some days."   
She nodded, reading the message in his eyes instead of that in his voice. She vaguely gestured with her head towards her bed and Zan nodded. He released her hand and knelt down by the bed, pulling out her small bag.   
  
"Are you warm enough?" he asked, stepping up to her again.   
"I will be," she answered. He couldn't stop the small smile from forming over his lips at the first flash of life he had seen in her eyes since her marriage.   
"Then let's go." He took her hand in his and pulled her with him. As they stepped out in the hallway, he called one of the protectors to him.   
"I'm taking the princess somewhere safe. I will keep in contact. When I consider it's safe enough, we will return."   
"Yes, sir," the man answered.   
"Good," Zan said. "Londrì Aliandra, let's go." 

--------------------------------------------------------

  
  
She stumbled forward, the rain was pelting down around them. Her hand was tightly clasped in his. At least she wasn't wearing her dress any longer. Zan had given her a pair of his pants instead. He had adjusted their length and the size of their waist to fit her. At first, Zan had been pouring his energy into her, keeping her warm. But since she, through their connection, had felt how much it was draining him, she had asked him to stop. The rain was now chilling her skin, seeping through her tissues, freezing her bones.   
"I'm cold," she sobbed.   
"I know, love, but we have to keep moving," Zan answered, wrapping his arm around her waist to support her. Four hours had elapsed since they had left the palace. They were both soaking wet and tired. One hour ago Zan had noticed that they were being followed, and they had begun running. Aliandra was so weak that Zan was afraid that she couldn't move any further. But they had to keep moving.   
"Zan," Aliandra whispered.   
  
"Try to think of something else. Imagine a warm fire and you won't feel the coldness."   
"No, I want to tell you something," Aliandra said.   
"You can tell me later, love. We'll have much time to do that later."   
But something was nagging at her to let him know. He needed to know. Now.   
"I'm carrying your child."   
The shock was so great that Zan stumbled and almost fell. If Aliandra's weak arms hadn't stopped him, he would have. "What did you say?"   
"I'm with child, Zan."   
"It's mine?" Zan whispered, his voice cracking.   
She nodded. "I wanted you to know."   
"Oh lord..." How could he be so stupid to take her out on this when she was pregnant? No wonder she was so weak.   
"Are you disappointed?" Aliandra whispered, insecurity cracking her voice.   
  
Zan stared at her as if she were insane. "Disappointed?" He captured her face between his hands and forced her to look at him. "Nothing we create could ever disappoint me. I love you so much."   
A teary laugh of relief escaped her lips. "I knew I shouldn't doubt you."   
He smiled weakly. "Never doubt me." He paused and glanced around. The rain was dripping in his eyes and he brushed the wet bangs away from his forehead. "We need to find a place to rest."   
She looked around herself and found a group of bushes further away. "How about there?"   
"Yes," Zan agreed and pulled her with him. Just as they were about to duck down behind the bushes Zan's trained eyes noticed movement further down the road. He quickly turned to Aliandra and addressed to her quietly, "Ali, you need to stay here. Don't move for anything and keep absolutely quiet. Don't come after me; I'll find you. Do you understand?"   
"Yes," she answered.   
He looked at her one last time, letting his fingers brush over her sweet lips. "I'll be back."   
"I love you," she whispered. But he was already gone.   
  
Aliandra crept further down into the shield of bushes. Mud drenched her clothes and slipped inside the confines of her clothing, sticking to her damp and cold skin. She curled up to make herself as small as possible and closed her eyes, waiting for things to be okay again. They never would be.   
  
Ten minutes passed before she felt the first hit. It coursed through her whole body, making her hurl forward with a whimper of pain. The second hit came soon after as pain exploded in her head. She brought her hand up to her forehead, convinced that she would find blood there. But there was nothing. She looked around, panic filling her. There was no one there. No enemy.   
  
Zan.   
  
It was Zan. They had hurt Zan. She didn't think. It was only one thing that kept her moving. Get to Zan. Get to Zan. She had to take him away. Save him. As she climbed out of from the bushes she felt another blow shake her whole body and she fell to her knees.   
"Noo..." she whimpered.   
"Oh there she is. Worried about your boyfriend, whore?"

TBC…


	47. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42**   
  
  
_Ten days earlier_   
  
His heart was pounding in his chest as he raced up the familiar stairs to her apartment.   
  
Please let her be there. Please let her be there.   
  
But he knew with a frightening certainty that she wouldn't be there. It was too late. He had felt something a couple of hours ago. A coldness had washed over him, an emptiness. And now he felt vacant, his essence desperately searching for something it had lost and he feared that it was Liz. Something had happened to Liz, but he didn't dare think that she might be...   
  
No! He forcefully pushed the thoughts to the back of his head as his hand swept over the lock, unlocking the door.   
  
In the same instant as he crossed the threshold he knew that something was different. Just like his heart knew that something was missing, so was something missing from her apartment. It was spotless, but the atmosphere was chaotic. The air in the apartment was erratic, confused and empty. Lifeless and cold. The sweet soft fragrance of the scent that was so uniquely Liz was missing and had been replaced by an unnerving void.   
  
His legs were moving forwards as his eyes, agitated, scanned everything he passed. His mind was sharp and his attention was focused. He pushed his fears to the back of his head and instead pulled out the part of his brain that consisted of cold logic and rationality so he could find clues in the best possible way.   
  
There was nothing. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The bed was neatly made. The blinds were pulled up. Everything was tidy. His emotional state couldn't decide if the orderliness was a good or bad thing. His feelings were wavering between relief and panic.   
  
He stepped into the bathroom and had to grab onto the doorframe for support as the panic got the upper hand and paralyzed him. His eyes were frozen on the mirror over the sink. A couple seconds later, his heart started to work again and he got his legs moving. Absent-mindedly his hand drifted over the lock and locked the door behind him before he moved towards his next destination. Liz's work. 

---------------------------------------------------------

  
  
_"He has gone to New York, hasn't he?" __  
__"Would it be so bad if he had?" __  
__"Yes! I mean, no.. It's just... He's so damn stubborn. He can't continue putting himself in so much danger. His traveling from one spot to another is going to seem suspicious." __  
__"Suspicious to whom?" __  
__She sighed. "I don't know. I have no idea. But you have to understand, Maria, that we have been so careful all our lives to not raise any suspicions. To appear normal. And now he's destroying it all. Just because of a girl." __  
__"I thought she was your friend in New York." __  
__"Yes..yes...she was. I have nothing against Liz personally. But she's just... It's better if she was kept out of this!" __  
__"He loves her, Isabel. And she loves him. They are going to be together whether you and Michael want it or not."_   
  
"Miss, may I get you something?"   
Isabel snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at the stewardess standing by her chair. She forced a smile on her face and shook her head. "No, thank you."   
She sighed and leaned back in her seat, her thoughts returning to her departure from Roswell.   
  
_"I don't understand what's going on." __  
__"Mom. I need to get him back. He's gone after Liz-" __  
__"Yes, that's what I don't understand. Why did she leave so early?" __  
__"She... They had a fight and she left." __  
__"Yes, Max told me that much. Tell me Isabel, is there something going on between them?" __  
__Pause. __  
__"I don't know, mom. I don't know. That's what I have to find out."_   
  
Isabel stared out the window at the blue sky and the white clouds forming a soft looking carpet below the plane, her thoughts miles away. Liz was dangerous to them. Not Liz personally, but what she made Max do. She had awoken a side in Max that he had never shown before. She had seen it, Michael had seen it, Maria had seen it and she suspected that even her mother had noticed. This side was so warm and caring, but also impulsive. So focused on Liz and her happiness.   
  
Isabel picked up one of the magazines that someone had left behind in the empty seat beside her and started to flip through the pages. She would never really admit it to herself, but she was jealous; jealous of Liz and what she managed to bring out in Max. They shared something special and it hurt Isabel that she hadn't been the one to bring her brother that happiness. She and Max had always been close. They had talked about almost everything, having a closer sibling relationship than most siblings. He was more than just a brother to her. He was her best friend, the one she always counted on being there for her. To love her, care for her and protect her.   
  
At the plane-wide announcement in the loudspeakers, Isabel fastened her seat belt around her waist and started to prepare for the descent and the arrival into New York City.   
  
Her thoughts began to drift again. Since Liz had stepped into their lives, Max had changed. His focus had changed. He hadn't spent as much time with Isabel, Michael and Maria anymore. It was like he had forgotten them. As if they weren't as important to him any longer, now that he had Liz.   
  
The plane touched ground with a slight bump and soon she was moving down the airport towards the exits. Outside she caught a cab and gave the driver the address of Liz's apartment. 

-------------------------------------------------------

  
  
Isabel paused outside Liz's door. Would Max already be there? He hadn't called since he left Roswell and he wasn't answering his cell phone. Isabel had no clue to what was going on. Had Max found Liz and talked to her, or was she still missing? Maybe Liz was at work. Isabel bit her lower lip and knocked on the door. She felt as if she didn't belong here. For the first time since this whole thing with Liz had started she felt as if she was intruding. That maybe, just maybe, Max's business wasn't hers. That perhaps she and Michael should butt out. Let Max live his own life. He had proved on numerous occasions that he could take care of himself and make wise decisions. But then she was reminded of every impulsive decision Max had made when it came to Liz and she straightened her shoulders and knocked again. She had to talk some sense into Max.   
  
But there was still no answer. She frowned and wondered what she was going to do. Should she go to Liz's work and search for her there? Nah. She shook her head to herself and then waved her perfectly manicured hand over the lock. She could look around some first. Maybe she would find something that showed that she could trust Liz. She stepped inside. The apartment seemed empty. There was a thick silence, the kind of silence that sighed with the absence of any other living creatures.   
"Liz?" she spoke into the air, to be on the safe side. She really didn't want someone walking up behind her. "Liz? Are you here?"   
"Who are you?"   
A gasp of fear and surprise escaped over her lips and she quickly turned around, putting her hand out in front of her to ward of possible enemies. In front of her stood a long lean man, his hair short, his eyes kind but now open in surprise. His hands flew up in a defensive stance in front of his chest.   
"Whoa, calm down there!"   
Breathing heavily, she demanded, "Who are you?"   
"I asked first," he answered matter-of-factly.   
Isabel frowned. There was something familiar about him. She pressed her lips together. "A friend of Liz's. Who are you?"   
  
"A friend of Liz's," the boy answered stoically. He was frowning too, as if he was trying to place her face somewhere. Then his face shone up. "Hey, you're that girl. Umm... Isabel right? Darn, I can't believe I forgot that! There should be a law on not forgetting a face like yours."   
A flush spread itself over her cheeks despite herself. She swallowed and then put on her most menacing face. "We've met?"   
But the boy didn't seem intimidated by her facial expression at all. It was as if the floodgates had been open. He was suddenly bubbling with excitement. "Yes, that night when Liz was going to that party with her office, remember?"   
A light went on in her head. "You're Alex? Liz's friend from school."   
He lit up with a proud smile. "That's me."   
"Okay, you're definitely talking more this time around than the other," Isabel muttered. "What are you doing here?"   
"Friendly, aren't we," Alex said at her hostile tone, but his voice was warm. And it made Isabel's legs go weak. There was something uncontrollably attractive about him. The warm twinkling of his eyes. The way his eyes moved appreciatively over her body, but not arrogantly like most men, but with adoration that made the color on her cheeks turn a darker red.   
"I was looking for Liz," Alex filled in. "You?"   
"Yeah," she licked her suddenly dry lips, "Looking for her too."   
He nodded and then gestured towards the front door. "So, how did you get in?"   
"I-I had a key," Isabel murmured.   
  
The expression that passed over Alex's face told her that he didn't quite believe her.   
"Oh, me too," Alex answered with a quick smile. But Isabel could read the apprehension there. He might be flirting with her, but she didn't know him. She wasn't prepared to let her guard down yet.   
"You wouldn't know where she is?" Isabel asked, turning ninety degrees to nonchalantly finger on a photo frame on a small table standing against one of the walls. She kept close watch on Alex from her peripheral vision. Energy was sparkling just below the surface of her skin, ready to be used if necessary. She didn't trust anyone. Especially not if she was alone with that someone in a foreign apartment in New York City of all places. There was a short silence and Isabel sensed his eyes moving over her body. She silently scolded herself for the blush she felt rise on her cheeks and the tingle moving through her body. What was wrong with her? Relationships had always been casual to her and it had not been difficult to keep it that way. She had never met anyone who was worth her genuine interest and attention. She had certainly never met anyone that had made her blush before. That scared her at the same time as it made a warm comfortable feeling spread in her stomach.   
"No..." Alex answered slowly, "I've been trying to reach her for days but she has had her phone off or something. So I thought I would swing by here today and see if everything was okay."   
  
Isabel frowned and turned to look at Alex. "You mean, you don't know where Liz has been the last couple of days?"   
"No," Alex answered, then asked confused, "Should I?"   
"You came looking for her in Roswell," Isabel answered.   
"Roswell, New Mexico?"   
Why did he look so confused? It seemed as if he didn't have a clue to what she was talking about.   
"Yes," she answered, somewhat annoyed by his inability to remember.   
"I don't know from where you've gotten that notion. I have never been in Roswell in my entire life," Alex said.   
Isabel stared at him, feeling pieces falling to place inside her head. Like ice cubes falling with a heavy thud against her heart. That day in the CrashDown. The man that Michael and Maria had said had been asking for Liz. It hadn't been Alex. It had been someone else and Isabel really didn't feel good about that.   
"Oh," Isabel forced an apologetic smile on her face, "I guess I was mistaking then. Probably a doppel-ganger."   
  
Alex returned her smile with a warm and genuine one. "We all have one of those. So, that's where Liz has been hiding, huh? Hanging with the aliens?"   
"What?" Isabel snapped sharply.   
Alex's smile slipped of his face and he looked at her funny. Isabel quickly recovered. This thing with Liz had really shaken her. She was usually much better at this. Or maybe it wasn't Liz at all. Maybe it was those blue eyes of the man standing in front of her that suddenly made her brain turn into jelly.   
"I-I mean, yeah. Lots of aliens in Roswell. You really get sick and tired of them."   
Alex gave her the brave attempt of a smile, but his eyes were still looking at her funny. Her hands fumbling, she brushed a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear before turning around again.   
"She- I was just going to get her some stuff that she forgot," Isabel said, her mind distracted with thoughts about who the man searching for Liz had been and where her brother was right now. She had to find him. Why couldn't he realize that he needed her help? Why couldn't he just ask for her help?   
  
_Because you wouldn't give it to him._   
  
The voice in the back of her head was right. If Max had come to her to ask her to help him to find Liz and get her back, Isabel would have tried to talk Max out of it. She would argue that they were putting themselves in danger by going on a wild goose-chase after Liz. Liz had probably just wanted to be alone anyway, and that was why she left. Liz _did_ leave because she and Max had a fight. So it wouldn't be that weird to assume that Liz just wanted some time on her own.   
  
Isabel realized that maybe she hadn't been very supportive. Not when her brother really needed her to be. She had only been supportive when it had been convenient for her and in keeping their secret. That's why he hadn't asked for her help. That's why Max had left without telling her. He had told Maria and their mother but not her or Michael. She was brought back to reality by Alex's voice.   
  
"...with you?"   
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"   
"Did she come with you?"   
Isabel shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. What were they talking about? "Um...no."   
By the crease appearing on Alex's forehead she knew that she had given the wrong answer.   
"If she didn't come with you, then why are you looking for her?" he asked.   
Isabel thought quickly. "No, I mean. She _did_ come with me here to New York, but then we split up. She was going to...um...work and get some stuff, and I was to buy something and then we would meet up here. So, I was just looking for her...here."   
Alex scanned her empty hands. "Did you find what you were going to buy?"   
"Yeah," Isabel answered.   
"Then why don't you have a bag?" Alex asked slowly.   
Isabel swallowed. She had really tied a knot on herself this time.   
"I have," Isabel persisted quickly, before forcing herself to slow down or she would sound suspicious. "I forgot it in the bedroom. Thank you for reminding me! I would've forgotten it otherwise, I'm sure."   
  
She fired off her most brilliant smile in his direction and hoped that it would have its desired effect. That smile never disappointed her when it came to the male race with the exceptions of Max and Michael, of course. Max, because he was her brother and Michael because - he was just Michael. Her smile brightened as she saw a goofy grin spread over Alex's face. Mission accomplished.   
"No problem," he answered, "Maybe you should go and get it. Liz doesn't seem to be here anyway."   
No. She couldn't leave. She needed to search through the apartment. Maybe Liz had left some clue. Or maybe Max had been here and left her something.   
"You go," Isabel said, "and I'll stay here and wait for Liz."   
Alex plopped down in the armchair with a wide smile, stretching from ear to ear. Casually putting his arms over his head, he said, "Then I'll stay too. I need to speak with Liz and I don't want to give her a chance to disappear on me again."   
He winked at her and Isabel's smile faltered. It seemed as if Alex was making himself comfortable to stay for some time. She inwardly sighed.   
"Okay, I'll go and get my bag," she said. She just had to investigate a little quieter.   
"Okay," Alex answered, picking up a scratch book from Liz's table.   
Taking a final peek at Alex, Isabel headed for the bedroom. If there was something interesting to find, it would be found in a woman's bedroom, that was for sure.   
  
But Isabel was in for a big disappointment. After going through the neat bedroom for twenty minutes, the only interesting she ended up with was a diary, and not even that seemed all that interesting. With a sigh, she stepped out into the living room.   
"Found what you were looking for?" Alex asked, looking at her intently.   
Isabel shrugged nonchalantly. "No, but I think she has it in the bathroom."   
"Oh," Alex said deadpanned, "Wouldn't it have been better if Liz had told you where she kept it?"   
"She told me," Isabel answered evasively, the sound of her voice gradually growing quieter as she disappeared into the bathroom, "She must've moved it, that's all."   
Alex frowned as he stared at the slightly ajar door to the bathroom, where Isabel had disappeared. Anyone who knew Liz Parker at all must know that she kept an almost scary order on things. She had a system for almost everything and she always, and then he really meant _always_, knew where she kept her things. If she had moved something she would've remembered and told Isabel. Something about this whole thing didn't make sense. He had thought so even before Isabel's stuttering and bad cover up lie earlier.   
  
His was violently ripped out of his thoughts as he heard a yelp and a bang when Isabel fell against the wall. He was quickly on his feet and was by her side on the floor in the fraction of a second.   
"Isabel? Isabel? Are you all right?"   
He took her by the arm, afraid that she would fell if he didn't steady her. Her confused eyes locked with his and his heart doubled in speed.   
"Hey, are you all right?" he prodded again.   
She shook her head, as if trying to shake her thoughts back into place. "Mi-mirror," she whispered breathlessly, moving a trembling hand to her forehead.   
Alex worriedly scanned her pale face. "Isabel? What happened? Are you feeling sick?"   
"Mirror," she said again and raised her shaking hand in the air. Alex slowly followed the direction of her pointing finger. His eyes fell on the mirror.   
  
In red color, probably lipstick, large capital letters covered the reflective glass.   
  
**LIMBRÀ**   
  
The word made chills run down his spine.   
"What?" he whispered, mostly to himself, "What does that mean?" It wasn't English. Of that he was positive.   
"Help," Isabel whimpered.   
Alex eyes moved back to her face. She was blinking violently and her eyes were moving from side to side. She was really scaring him. He cradled the back of her neck with his hand, trying to force her to look at him.   
"Isabel! Calm down!"   
"Help," she moaned, and her eyes rolled back in her head before she dropped out of consciousness.   
"Isabel!"

TBC…


	48. Interlude VI

**INTERLUDE VI**   
  
  
It was Zan. They had hurt Zan. She didn't think. It was only one thing that kept her moving. Get to Zan. Get to Zan. She had to take him away. Save him. As she climbed out from behind the bushes she felt another blow shake her whole body and she fell to her knees.   
"Noo..." she whimpered.   
"Oh there she is. Worried about your boyfriend, whore?"   
  
No, no, no. He had found her. He had found _them_.   
"Go away," she mumbled while refusing to look up to confirm her suspicions.   
"Huh? What was that? Sorry, I don't take commands from a simple slut!" His hard and cold hands took a hold of her shoulders and pushed her on her back. "There, that's the position I like you in. One you are the most familiar with, I assume. Being on your back!"   
Her eyes closed as he spat in her face. Next her cheek exploded in pain as his hand slapped over her face.   
  
"I'm gonna teach you just what happens to wives who cheat on their husbands."   
"We weren't even married yet," Aliandra spat out.   
His response to her act of defiance was a kick in her stomach. She whimpered and rolled herself up.   
"You liked that, huh?" he mocked and aimed a kick in her back.   
She cried out in pain and whimpered, "What did you do to him?"   
"Him? Oh, you mean your _protector_," he said with disgust, "I taught him one or two things too."   
"Leave him alone, he has nothing to with this," Aliandra got out as the pain rippled through her body.   
"Funny. That's what he said about you," he said incredulously and kicked her hard in the stomach.   
"No, please don't," she cried out.   
"Please don't what?" Vandor taunted.   
"Don't hurt my baby," Aliandra whispered.   
  
"Baby? Ah, this is getting more and more interesting," Vandor said and knelt down beside her. He forced her on her back again and pulled up her shirt.   
"No," she hissed and tried to pull her shirt back down.   
His fist connected with her face and she heard the cracking sound of her nose breaking and felt the metallic taste of blood in her mouth.   
"Now, let's take a look shall we?"   
She watched his hand beginning to glow over her stomach. "No! NO!! Get away!!" she cried, panic building inside of her.   
Vandor used his powers to hold her struggling arms over her head as he scanned the baby in her uterus.   
"So," he opened his eyes and the look he gave her was chilling her very soul. "It's his."   
She pressed her lips together to keep herself from crying.   
"Well, we can't let a bastard child like that live can we?"   
  
Her eyes widened with terror and she started moving to get away from him.   
"Oh no, you don't," Vandor hissed and put one of his hands around her frail neck, cutting of her air.   
But it wasn't the sudden lack of vital air that was hurting the most. It was the pain that was ripping through her as Vandor's powers surged through her uterus, and she felt him slowly sucking the life out of her unborn child. Hot tears rolled down her tears and she wanted to scream. She wanted to kill him for killing her child. The beautiful child Zan and she had created. But she couldn't do anything. She felt her own hot blood simmer out between her legs and she knew that her child was dead. Vandor released the grip he had on her with a smug on his face.   
"You bastard," Aliandra whispered, her voice slightly impaired by the force he had used to compress her airway.   
"Oh now. No need to resort to name calling." She scrambled away from him, the pain in her abdomen almost making her pass out. Almost. She had to get to Zan first. After she killed her husband, that is. She raised her hand and started to gather her powers. Vandor was just smiling smugly at her, chuckling under his breath. The rain pelting down around her, she realized that he had immobilized her powers. And even if he hadn't, she wouldn't have any strength left to use on him.   
  
"I'm gonna kill you. That's a promise," Aliandra promised coldly. Vandor just smiled coldly at her. Her breathing was erratic as she turned away from him and on wobbly legs started to follow the pull she felt towards her soulmate. She soon fell on her knees, her strength failing her. She was numb. She was dying inside. She wasn't aware of anything around her. All she knew was that she had to get to him. Get him out of here. Otherwise she would die, because she would have nothing left to live for.   
  
Silence.   
  
In her world everything was silent. She was being emptied. Her soul was being ripped away from her, piece by piece.   
  
The scalding hot blood, the only remnants of her child, was trickling out between her legs, destroying another hope within her with every drop of blood. She saw his contours in the dark night. He was on his knees, his body bent over and covered in mud. Within two long painful seconds she was by his side.   
"Zan?" she whispered.   
She reached out her hand to touch his hair. Her hand became covered in the warm blood trickling down his cheek from the fatal wound in his head. At her touch, he looked up at her.   
"Aliandra," he choked.   
"What has he done to you?" Aliandra sobbed.   
"Aliandra, you have to hide," Zan whispered, his last words ending with a death rattle.   
  
His eyes were dark and mournful, shimmering with tears. He was not crying at the realization that he was going to die. He was not crying because of the pain in his chest that was spreading through his whole body. The pain was too numbing for his mind to grasp. He was crying because of everything he had lost. Everything he was about to lose. At the future that was going to take away the only bright light he knew, and it was only a matter of minutes before that future would arrive.   
"You have to fight! Don't leave me," Aliandra begged.   
"I...love...you," Zan whispered.   
"Don't say that!" Aliandra angrily brushed the water droplets out of her eyes. "You can't leave me!"   
"I...can't..."   
"Yes, you can. You have to want to live."   
Zan looked up at her. She was so beautiful. He could see her so clearly. She was the only thing completely clear to him. He could see the sun shining on her face as she, laughing, ran over the green meadow. He could see her hair flying freely in the air as she walked beside him on the road. He could hear her softly giggling at something he said while lying with her under the stars. He could feel the texture of her soft lips against his. He could feel her warm body pressing up against his. He could hear his name being spoken by her velvety voice. He could see her hopeful eyes gazing into his while she whispered that she loved him.   
  
She could feel him reaching for her. He was grabbing onto his only thread to life. It was the only thing that was making his heart still beat, even though the extent of his injuries should have forced him to draw his last breath a long time ago.   
"I love you," she whispered, her tears melting in the stream of water flooding down her face.   
He reached out his hand towards her face and she captured it, pressing it against her dirty cheek.   
"Please...stay safe," he whispered, his words sounded like a gasp as he reached for the air that was incapable of inflating his air sacs due to the punctuated state of his lungs. He slumped down, his eyes leaving hers, and, with a freezing realization, she felt him faltering. He couldn't hold on any longer. He was leaving this world.   
  
He was leaving her.   
  
"Noooooooooooo!! Please don't die! Please don't die!! I need you!! We are going to get married! We are going to have children together! You can't leave me!" she cried, her hands grabbing his torn clothes, trying to straighten his tired body up. Trying to save it from sinking down into the dark solace. His voice was so soft that it was almost an impossibility that she had heard him. But her whole attention was intently focused on him. She could hear nothing but him.   
"This isn't farewell, love."   
  
And he was gone.   
  
"Please don't leave me! Please!! Noooooo!"   
  
But she knew he was gone. The removal of his soul was devouring her soul, covering her in a cold darkness. She was dying. She pressed her fever-flushed face to his cooling body and felt his comforting warmth start to leave him.   
"Why? Why are you doing this to me?!" she sobbed into his shirt. But he was so quiet. So cold.   
The slow clapping made her head jerk up. Vandor was standing in front of her, clapping his hands together with a conceited smile on his face.   
"Oh, that was a such a beautiful scene," he said sarcastically, "Now, let's get home, Aliandra."   
"I'd rather die than going home with you," Aliandra said venomously.   
"Not that tone, darling," Vandor said softly.   
"Just kill me and get it over with," Aliandra hissed.   
Vandor narrowed his eyes as he looked at her bloody and muddy face.   
"I did you a favor, Aliandra. I removed the object that would have caused your father much heartache. Thanks to me, your affair will remain a secret and you will avoid disgrace. You made a mistake and I made it go away. It's like it never happened. You should be grateful."   
  
Aliandra was so angry that she was trembling. The energy was too great to be contained within her body. It was slowly bundling up within her.   
"You should consider yourself lucky that I even consider taking you back!"   
Aliandra slowly stood up and raised her hand towards him, her eyes cold and empty as she aimed on his chest.   
"Grateful? Lucky?" she repeated with a bitter laugh. "Well, then I guess you should be _grateful_ that I'm letting you off easily. I'm letting you die right now. Consider yourself _lucky_."   
Vandor merely jeered at her and it was evident that he didn't realize that the energy gathering within her was, in fact, lethal. At least, he didn't realize it until it hit him squarely in the chest and sent him flying six feet through the air. Aliandra knelt down by Zan and pressed a warm kiss on his lips, completing his earlier promise with one of her own. "We will meet again. I will find you."   
She closed her eyes and started to gather new energy within her. When it had reached a proportion that could barely be contained within her, she turned the aim towards her own insides and released the energy. Death was instantaneous. Her body slumped over Zan's and the rain pelted down on them, washing away the blood and the mud. 

-----------------------------------------------------

  
  
Two hours earlier, Soria found out from one of the servants that Aliandra had been having a love affair with her personal protector, Zan. It didn't take her long to find out that the same information had also reached Vandor's ears and she knew disaster was impending. Vandor was well known for his bad temper and his impulsive decisions. In earlier relationships he had often let jealousy govern his thinking. When one of Aliandra's protectors informed her that Zan and Aliandra had taken off, she knew that she had to find them. And warn them.   
  
But she had been too late.   
  
Vandor had found her first. With the rain beating their faces, she had resembled her best friend more than ever and she had been the target of Vandor's raw rage. Before he had realized what he had done he had killed her. It had taken him a couple of minutes before he had realized his mistake.   
  
Working behind the scenes were the scientists, hired by the king to ensure the survival of the royal heritage. Four years prior to the first meeting between Zan and Aliandra, Aliandra's older brother Amar died in battle. Aliandra had grieved for her brother, his death making her even more isolated and lonely. What she didn't know was that his body was frozen, being conserved for the future. If something happened to Aliandra, they would do the same thing to her and whomever she might have formed a relationship with.   
  
That fateful day, with the rain falling hard to the ground, obscuring everyone's vision, mistakes were made. Mistakes that would be proven to be just the right mistakes. Soon after Aliandra's death, someone took her body. No one knows who it was. And it's really not important, because it didn't change the fact that she was dead and her soul had already left her body. But as men were sent out to collect bodies for preservation, Soria's body was found instead of Aliandra's. Since Vandor's body had also disappeared from the place, the men made the simple mistake of collecting Zan's body instead. Many of the people had yet to see who their new prince was. Their marriage had not been open to the public and the one that the scientists and the common men had seen Aliandra together with on most occasions was the dark-haired boy. Hence, it was believed that he was the new prince.   
  
The people loved their princess. She always treated them fairly and with respect. With her death, rebellion broke out and a civil war started. Fearing for the security of the pods containing their royalty, the scientist became desperate and decided to try an experimental method that they had been investigating recently: mixing the DNA of their people with that of human beings of the planet Earth. That way they could revive their royal family. The experiments were conducted and the results were seemingly successful. But the situation became so bad that the king ordered the scientists to build a space ship and send the pods to Earth to ensure their safety. On Earth, their beloved rulers could grow up safely in order to return to their home planet and reinstate peace.   
  
The only problem was that the civil war magnified into a fight between countries and weapons similar to the atomic weapons on Earth were used. It wiped away all the vegetation and life on the planet and left it dead. The only things left from that once prospering planet were three fetuses in three pods.   
  
Amar, Soria, and Zan.   
  
But that night under the stars exactly four days before the death of Zan and Aliandra, a deep soul-binding connection was made. Two halves became one whole. Their souls became one and a promise was made in the stars. They would never let go of each other, and if they did, they would find their way back to each other. Because soulmates belong together; without their other half they couldn't live. They couldn't survive.   
  
Zan's body was brought to Earth, but seven years before the day of his emergence from the pod, Aliandra's soul came to rest. It had found it's other half and in an abandoned shackle in New York City, she was reborn in the baby that would soon grow up to become Elizabeth Parker.

TBC…


	49. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43**   
  
  
_I thought you were my friend. Why can't you tell me?_   
  
"Hey there."   
Isabel quickly sat up, the room starting to spin at the sudden movement, the nausea rising in her throat evidence of how intensely her body protested against the motion. Her hand flew to her forehead in a desperate attempt to stop the spinning.   
"Where am I? Who are you?" The questions ripped violently through her trembling lips. She could feel the energy gathering inside of her as she tried to keep her eyes open in the bright light. Energy that was only waiting for her to give the cue and it would destroy whoever was leaning over her right now.   
"Alex," the soft voice answered, "I'm Alex. And you're at Liz's. You fainted or something and you've been out for about ten minutes. I was about to call an ambulance."   
The thoughts were tumbling around in her head, making her dizzy.   
  
_I can't trust you when you don't trust me._   
  
What was that voice in her head? There was something different about it. Like it had another fingerprint than usual language. Like it was a foreign language, but she understood it just as easily as English. What was happening?   
  
She felt panic grip her. She had to get out of her. She tried to stand up, but fell against the man who had called himself Alex when her legs gave out from underneath her.   
"Careful," Alex murmured. She felt an arm move around her waist and her first natural instinct was to push it away and try to get as far away from him as possible. But she didn't have the strength and the small fight she put up only made his arm tighten more firmly around her waist.   
"No you don't," he said, "You can't walk on your own. Let's get you to the couch. You need to lay down."   
"Don't tell me what to do," Isabel gritted out. Her head was throbbing intensely and there was something nagging her at the back of her head.   
Alex didn't answer her. He just calmly led her over to the couch and Isabel had no other choice but to follow.   
  
The soft couch was really a good alternative to the cold tile floor in the bathroom. She leaned back in the couch and closed her eyes, trying to focus her powers onto herself. She never was any good at healing. It had always been Max's area of expertise. She could heal simple things. Like paper cuts and bruises. But she had never had a headache before and, thus, never tried to heal one. Focusing, she tried to picture her brain, like Max had told her to do. Always picture what you are going to heal and the problem will present itself to you. Right. After a couple of seconds she slumped back in the couch again, even more tired and with a worse headache than before.   
"Here," that voice said and she slowly opened her eyes to see Alex hovering above her, a glass of water in his hand, "You should drink something."   
Swallowing her pride, Isabel stretched out her hand and gave him a weak attempt of a smile, "Thanks."   
"No problem," Alex answered.   
She watched as Alex plopped down in the armchair beside her through her glass as she drank. He watched her patiently as she emptied the glass.   
"So, what happened in there?" Alex asked as she put the glass down on the table in front of her.   
  
_You know, I counted on you to always be there for me, like I have always been there for you._   
  
Isabel shook her head in a fruitless attempt to rid her mind of the intruding whispers, and murmured, "I don't know."   
Why did she have a strong feeling that she shouldn't be here at all? That she should be somewhere else?   
"I guess I fainted," Isabel continued, staring at the glass.   
Alex nodded and they sat in silence for a while, the pounding in Isabel's head echoing around her.   
"So, that word...on the mirror. Was that weird, or what? What do you think it was? Why would Liz write something like that on her mirror?"   
"What?" Isabel asked. She should know this. She knew at the back of her head that she should know what he was talking about.   
"Um... Limbrà, I think it said," Alex whispered.   
  
_Limbrà__.__  
  
Help.   
  
I was too late.   
  
I can't trust you when you don't trust me.   
  
Well, if that's how you feel, then I guess you are better off left alone.   
  
Limbrà.   
  
I was too late.   
  
Help.   
  
Help.   
  
Help._   
  
"Oh my God," Isabel whispered and covered her face in her hands.   
"What?" Alex frowned.   
"Oh my God," Isabel repeated, her voice stronger. Her head lifted from her hands and she stared straight at Alex. "Liz... Oh my God."   
  
_I thought you were my friend. Why can't you tell me? __  
I can't. But you are my friend. You are the dearest friend of mine. That's why I need your help.   
No._   
  
"What?" Alex asked again, concerned with her behavior. "What's wrong with Liz?" He could feel his apprehension grow as Isabel struggled up from the couch and wobbled towards the front door.   
"I have to find Max," Isabel whispered.   
"What's going on? Isabel? Is something wrong with Liz? Why did she write that?"   
  
_I, Aliandra, promise to be your best friend forever. Now it's your turn. __  
I, Soria, promise to be the best friend in the whole wide world._   
  
"Aliandra," Isabel whispered, "she's Aliandra."   
"Huh?" Alex asked, stepping up behind her. "Who's Aliandra?"   
"Oh my God. She's one of us. She's one of us."   
"What are you talking about?" Alex asked.   
Isabel flung the door open, only to be faced with her brother's aggravated face.   
"Max!" she burst out.

TBC…


	50. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44**   
  
  
Alex glanced at the closed bedroom door. He couldn't hear anything, but he knew that they were in there talking. The only reason he was still hanging around was because he wanted to know where Liz was. There was a nagging feeling that something had happened to her. He knew with certainty that she was, in fact, missing. He hadn't heard from her in days and the people she had spent the last couple of days with had no clue to where she was. Or so he figured. They hadn't really told him anything. He could just as well be a fly on the wall. He was given the same amount of attention.   
  
That Max guy had only spared him one glance before firmly grabbing Isabel by the arm and more or less dragging her to the bedroom. He hadn't asked what Alex was doing there. He hadn't told him to leave. He had just ignored him. Which left Alex without knowing really what he was supposed to be doing. Should he stick around and try to force some information out of them? Should he just go home and try to reach Liz later? Should he go up to that closed door, bang on it and demand that someone told him what the hell was going on?   
  
He had no idea at all what to do. So, with no good options left, he had ended up on the couch, occasionally glancing at the closed door. From time to time, he would try to reach Liz's cell phone, but as with all other thousand times he had tried, it was shut off. The silence and the absence of other people had lulled him into a half-sleeping state, immersed in his own thoughts. That's why his heart almost leaped out of his chest when there was a forceful knock on the door.   
"Geez," Alex breathed, trying to get his racing heart under control as he stumbled towards the door. "Who is it?"   
"Open the door!" he got in reply. The person did not sound happy. But Alex wouldn't let anyone in without some sort of identification. Not when there were too many bizarre things going on as it was.   
"Who is it?" he tried again.   
  
He heard a muffled 'dammit' and then the door flew open, almost knocking Alex to the ground.   
"Who are you?!" an angry voice asked. Alex found himself face to face with a guy his age with burning eyes that, without question, warned him of danger. This guy was not to be messed with.   
"Alex," Alex answered, "Who are you?"   
"This is Liz's apartment?" the guy asked, biting off Alex question.   
"Yes," Alex answered, trying to work against the warning bells in his head and straighten up and use some of his length for intimidation. He really had the feeling that he was in the great need of using all methods he could against this guy, or else he would be crushed like a bug under his shoe.   
"Max?"   
The guy wasn't that big on talking either. Of course he would be friends with Max.   
Alex motioned towards the bedroom door with a nod of his head. The guy took off and voices slipped out from the bedroom when the door opened.   
"Who the hell is that guy?!!" Alex heard the guy boom from the bedroom before the door was closed.   
  
Great friends Liz had made... Alex shook his head and started to close the door when a female voice traveled up the stairs outside the door.   
"Michael!! Where the hel- Oh, hi."   
Alex stared at the blonde girl in disbelief. At this point he wasn't sure what to believe any longer.   
"Hi," he answered.   
"I'm Maria," the girl said, "Who are you?"   
"Alex," Alex answered. Wow, it seemed as if he had finally met a sane person.   
"Oh, Alex. You're Alex. Liz's Alex?" Maria asked.   
"That's me," Alex answered.   
"Well, Alex. Have you by any chance met a disheveled, about 6.1, not really big on talking?"   
  
"Uh-huh," Alex nodded, "In there." He pointed towards the bedroom door.   
She gave him a big smile. "Thanks. I hope he wasn't too unfriendly."   
"No, not at all. I guess he treats all people he doesn't know like that."   
"He treats _all_ people like that," Maria said, and shrugged, "You just have to knock some sense into him once in a while."   
With that she stomped away towards the bedroom.   
"Michael! Can't you behave for two seconds? Do you have to be an antisocial bastard to everyo-"   
And the door closed.   
Alex sighed, wondering if he should be laughing or crying. This was really ridiculous. What the heck had he stepped into? 

---------------------------------------------

  
  
"Does the name Aliandra mean anything to you?" Isabel asked.   
The color drained from Max's face and if Liz's bed hadn't been placed just behind him, he would have fallen to the floor when his legs gave out under him and he slowly sank down on the white covers.   
"How..." he whispered, and then realization struck him, "The mirror."   
Isabel nodded, sinking down beside Max on the bed. "You recognized it too? Limbrè."   
"Help," Max translated.   
Isabel nodded. "It was like it catalyzed memories locked away in my mind and I remember all these bizarre things."   
"Voices," Max echoed.   
"Yes. And then I just knew. It was me. And Aliandra. Max, do you know what this means?"   
Max stared at her. He knew very well what this meant. It had been swirling around in his head ever since he saw what had been written in red lipstick on Liz's bathroom mirror in shaky handwriting. He knew exactly what Isabel had been going through. It had brewed in his own heart ever since he had met Liz. Even before he had met her. The first time he saw her in one of his premonitions, he had known. He had known that she was important and that the main purpose was to keep her safe. It was like it was an integrated part of himself. Imprinted in him so deeply it had almost turned into an instinct. It had been natural to think that Liz's safety went before everything else, even his own safety.   
  
But it had been when the feelings had begun to form that he had really felt himself change. Or to be more precise, it had been when he had _admitted_to himself that there were feelings there. The feelings had always been there. From the first time he saw her in his premonition. He had instantly recognized her essence, her soul. It had been so familiar, so _right_ that it had been frightening. And his mind had clicked into denial.   
  
Liz's lips brushing against his had opened up something inside of him. Had unlocked the door to old secrets and memories of a past life.   
  
"We have lived before," Max answered.   
Isabel nodded. "Your name was Zan, I was Soria, and-"   
"Liz was Aliandra," Max filled in.   
Isabel frowned as she searched her mind for information. "She was important. But I can't remember how. I remember grand buildings and dinner parties. Jewelry. We were wealthy. But you are not as clear. Zan."   
"I don't remember either," Max said, "I just know one thing..."   
The door flung open and Michael stormed in, "Who the hell is that guy?!!"   
Isabel sprung up from her seat in surprise. "Michael!"   
"Close the door, Mike," Max said.   
Michael slammed the door behind him, barging into the room. "What the hell is going on, Maxwell?"   
"You called him?" Isabel asked her brother.   
Max rose from the bed. "We need reinforcement. We have to find Liz."   
"What's this about her being missing?" Michael asked, his voice calming down somewhat with the determination in Max's voice.   
"I have a bad feeling about this," Max said.   
  
"Are you sure she's just not taking a vacation? Maybe she needed some time on her own or something," Isabel tried, even though she knew that she should trust Max's hunch. It was almost always right.   
Max started pacing the floor. "Something is very wrong. I can't feel her anymore."   
"What do you-"   
"Michael! Can't you behave for two seconds? Do you have to be an antisocial bastard to everyone?!"   
Everyone looked up at the new arriver.   
"Maria, calm down," Michael sighed.   
Maria opened her mouth to protest, but closed it again without uttering a sound when her eyes fell on Max's haunted face. She walked up to Max and pulled him into a tight hug.   
"Honey, what's going on?" she asked against his shoulder.   
Max let Maria's support balm his frantic emotions and he relaxed a little in her arms.   
"Liz is gone," Isabel answered in her brother's place.   
"They are doing something to her, Maria," Max said, agony threading his voice.   
Maria pulled away from Max and worriedly searched his face. "They?" she whispered, fear bolting into her.   
  
"You think someone's taken her?" Michael asked.   
"I _know_," Max answered.   
"Maybe you should try and dreamwalk her," Maria suggested, looking at Isabel.   
Max followed Maria's eyes and looked at his sister with a new brief hint of hope flashing over his face.   
"You think that would work?" Isabel asked Max.   
"But that would only show her dreams, not her whereabouts," Michael said disbelieving.   
"Her whereabouts might reflect in her dreams," Isabel said, "She might be dreaming of her location. Or some person she has met there."   
"She might be able to give us some information," Max said.   
"Not without revealing who you are," Michael objected. "Don't you think she might find it a little weird that you can step into her dreams?"   
"The keyword here is dream, Michael," Isabel said, "She'll think it's a dream and will just answer our questions."   
"Let's do it," Max decided.   
  
Isabel looked at Max. She didn't want him to get his hopes up. She wasn't sure he could handle a hope like that being crushed right now. "Max, it might not work. If someone has taken her, like you say, then she might be drugged. It might be difficult to reach her and if we do her mind can be so twisted that we can't stay there long enough to try to decipher her unconscious and get some information."   
"I know, but this is the best chance we've got right now," Max said. And it would be a great accomplishment just to see for himself that she was okay and to be able to disregard his fears. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe the premonitions were wrong. He hoped so. He hoped so with all his heart, because he would die if he knew that Liz had been captured and then tortured, like she had in his premonitions. Ice cold shivers run down his spine as a flash from Liz's abdomen being opened and her screams piercing his senses, flashed through his mind.   
"Let's do it now," he said, struggling to stop himself from bolting out the door in blind search for Liz. But where would he start? He had no idea to where she was. She could be anywhere. New York was a big city and nothing promised that she would still be in New York. She could be anywhere. He took his sister's hand and sat down on the bed, forcing himself to calm down. She could be somewhere in Europe right now. Chained away in some cold room in Russia.   
  
"Close your eyes and let your mind go blank," Isabel instructed. Max eyes closed, and laid down on the bed. Behind his closed eyelids he saw her face. Her beautiful eyes. Her shy smile. The adorable flush that covered her cheeks when someone complimented her. Her small, slender hands. Her dark hair. Aliandra. His love that had found him again. He wouldn't let her slip out of his hands this time. If she did, they would find each other in the next life, because he couldn't survive without her.

TBC…


	51. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45**   
  
  
"Max! Max! God, Michael. Stop him, please!"   
"Max! Wait!"   
The new addition to the group watched with eyes as big as saucers from the backseat at the heated orange flames licking the night sky. The air was filled with smoke, making it thick and unable to breathe.   
  
And now Max was running towards it like a moth flying straight into a warm lamp.   
  
Alex glanced at Maria, fidgeting in her seat with trying to get the seat belt off. Was this making any sense to everyone but him? He wouldn't be the least surprised if he suddenly woke up in his bed in his apartment. This was so surreal that _not_ waking up would be horrifying.   
"What's going on?" Alex asked Maria. But she wasn't listening.   
"Hey! Maria!" Alex tried again. The seatbelt slammed back against the side of the car as it was pulled free and Maria quickly rose as she simultaneously pushed the door open.   
"Maria!" Alex yelled. He felt fear invade his senses as he watched Maria, the only confidant he had found in all of this, run after the others. He really didn't want to be left here alone.   
"Oh crap," he muttered and unfastened his own seatbelt.   
Soon he was running after people he hardly knew, straight towards a burning warehouse.   
  
  
_Present time - 2 hours before a warehouse in Colorado mysteriously caught fire. __  
  
__On a small graveled road a couple of miles north-east of Durango, Colorado_   
  
  
"What's wrong?" Isabel finally asked after having watched her brother's agitated glances in the rearview mirror for the last minute.   
"I think someone's following us," Max answered.   
"What?!" Isabel, Michael and Maria exclaimed in unison, turning in their seats.   
"Don't look!" Max hissed, pushing Michael, who was sitting in the passenger seat, so that he was looking straight ahead instead of being suspiciously half-turned in his seat, staring through the back window.   
"Who is it?" Isabel asked, her voice close to a stage whisper, as she leaned forward in between the front seats.   
"I don't know," Max answered and sneaked another glance in the rearview window. It was a red Chevy. He didn't know anyone with a red Chevy. And even if he did, why would this person be following them out in the middle of nowhere?   
  
"Oh God," Isabel whimpered, "This is bad. This is very bad. Someone is following us, Max. _Following_ us! How did we end up here? We were doing just fine in Roswell. You should never have gone to New York, Max."   
"I needed to," Max said quietly, "_She_ needed me."   
"Okay, maybe Liz has some connection to us, but that doesn't mean-"   
Michael looked at Isabel, utterly confused. "What do you mean that she has a connection to us?"   
But Isabel just waved him off, "She is putting us at risk. I don't know about this Max. She was having weird blackouts and you took her with you to Roswell. Later there was this mysterious man asking for her at the restaurant. The wrong people obviously know about her and we really don't want to attract their attention."   
Max opened his mouth to reply, but Michael beat him to it. "She's right, Max. Why don't we just drop this? Obviously, someone doesn't like our interest in it all," he gestured towards the rearview mirror where the red car was still behind them, "And we can't afford exposure."   
"Fine," Max said and hit the brakes.   
They all lunged forward with the force.   
"What the hell are you doing?!" Michael yelled as the car came to a stop.   
  
"Max! There is someone following us and you stop?! Start the car right now!"   
Maria looked at Max anxiously. If she was forced to take a side, she often took Max's. But even to her, stopping right didn't seem like such a good idea. "Max, this is really not the time to stop."   
"You don't want to help me, then fine," Max said calmly. "I'm _not_ leaving Liz there, wherever she is."   
"How is stopping now going to help Liz?" Isabel cried.   
"We are being followed for some reason. That person might know-"   
"This chat is very cozy and all," Michael hissed, "But can you put the damn car back in gear and continue driving!!"   
"Let's just get out of here," Isabel said.   
Max turned blazing eyes towards his sister. "How can you be so indifferent about this? You have felt it too, Isabel!"   
"Felt what?" Michael demanded. He felt like he was missing something and it was starting to make him really angry.   
"I don't know what I felt, Max. That was the first memory from our past. How do we know it is accurate?"   
"We both had them."   
"Excuse me," Michael hissed, "But can we possibly have this cryptic conversation at some other time? There is a car pulling up behind us. The same car that was following us."   
Isabel unceremoniously spun in her seat and Max tensed. Max's eyes narrowed as he tried to see who it was in the rearview window.   
"Don't stalkers just continue and drive past?" Michael murmured, referring to the knowledge he had gotten from movies about these kinds of situations.   
"Max," Isabel murmured pleadingly as she turned around in her seat to face her brother, "He's probably FBI or some other organization. Please, just start the car."   
"Yes, really Max," Michael said, "This is not the right time for being childish."   
  
"Oh my… This is not good, this is not good," Maria mumbled, fidgeting with the pocket in her jacket to find her cypress oil.   
"Let's see who it is," Max said slowly, his eyes transfixed on the rearview window, where the car was coming to a final halt. It might be some side effect of his ability to see the future in his premonitions or it might just be some kind of strengthened intuition, but he had a good feeling about this. Well, not _good_, exactly, but not bad either. Somehow, he didn't think that the person following them would be from the FBI.   
"'Let's see who it is," Michael mumbled. He never thought he would think it, but Max might actually be the one to get them killed.   
Maria pulled out her oil, unscrewed the lid and put it under her nose, taking deep breaths and inhaling the aroma.   
"Think about it, Michael," Max said calmly, "We are three aliens against a human. Why would we be in danger?"   
Michael stared at Max and slowly his friend's logic dawned on him. The stalker was anything but professional. Why did he stop when they did? Why was he alone? If he really thought he was following aliens, would he really do all of those things?   
"You're right," Michael agreed.   
  
"What?" Isabel asked in disbelief, fear squeezing her heart even harder. "You're with him now? Have you both gone completely insane?!"   
The hand holding the cypress oil was lowered slowly, as Maria stared at Michael only to turn her eyes to Max. "Max, I know that you are trying to follow your instincts here, but maybe it would be for the best just to continue driv-"   
"Crap," Michael murmured, his eyes focused on the side mirror. "It's that guy."   
This caused Isabel to once again turn in her seat.   
"Who?" Maria asked, not sure she wanted to know. She slowly turned in her seat, unconsciously fidgeting with the oil in her hand.   
"Alex," she whispered, putting a name on the person silhouetted in the other car.   
"What the hell is he doing here?" Michael hissed.   
"Let's find out," Max unfastened his seatbelt and reached for the door handle. Michael's hand on his shoulder stopped him.   
"Wait, Max. He could be FBI. He already knows too much."   
"Then it's better if we confront him, right?" Max advised.   
It got quiet in the car as Max's statement was taken under consideration. Isabel could feel herself calming down some. It wasn't some scary FBI-guy. It was just Alex. Granted, she didn't know Alex all that well, but he had seemed pretty okay to her. Maria shakily refocused on unscrewing the lid of the cypress oil again.   
"Well, if he's giving us any trouble, we can just blast him," Michael shrugged.   
"Let's wait with that, okay?" Max said. "Let's see what he wants." 

--------------------------------------------------

  
  
_Two hours later_   
  
Alex stood staring up at the hot inferno blazing in front of him. When he had woken up this morning, he would not in a million years have imagined that he would be in a place like this at the end of the day. It seemed to be a big building, a facility of some kind. At least it once had been. It was quickly being reduced to black ruins and ashes under the greedy feasting of the hungry flames.   
  
From the look of it, it seemed as if the facility was top secret. Maybe even belonging to the government. It was enclosed within high fences with barbed wire on top. Alex wasn't really sure how exactly the other guys had managed to break into the area either. Come to think of it, it seemed highly unlikely that they would be able to gain entrance at all. That is, not if the security system had been wired to the main building, which was facing its last days as a recognizable structure.   
  
Or maybe the people he was now blindly following, being left with no other choice, were of some very questionable background. Most likely they were criminals. But they didn't act like criminals. Not at all. If they were the top criminals they needed to be to get into a top security facility like this, he didn't know how they managed to keep themselves from getting caught. Looking at the people running towards the burning inferno, Alex couldn't exactly claim that they were subtle.   
  
Max was the most obvious of them all. His advance was narrow-minded and frantic. He was running towards the burning building like he had a death wish. Alex let his eyes travel further, lingering at Isabel.   
  
Isabel. He couldn't deny that he felt drawn to her. There was something there, but after this completely insane turn of events, he wasn't sure he ever wanted to spend another second in the same room with her ever again. For not the first time, and he guessed not the last time either, he wondered what these people had gotten themselves involved in.   
  
He could not see Maria any longer. She had disappeared somewhere in the smoke. Somehow she seemed different than the others. Even though she was working as an integrated part in the group, she was different. She was an outsider of some kind.   
  
He took a few uncertain steps forward, not debating whether he should follow them, leave as fast as he could, or just stay where he was. Where were all the people? Shouldn't there be other people here, running around, and at least trying to put out the fire? There should be fire brigades or something, and yet the area seemed deserted.   
  
He watched as Isabel reached out with her arm and snatched Max backwards just a couple of feet from running into the fire, and somewhat dazed he wondered what Max thought was inside that building that was so precious that he would risk his life to get it out. Before he had the chance to finish that trail of thought, a new thought hit him with a cold and violent tremor.   
  
Did Max think that Liz was in there? 

----------------------------------------------------

  
  
Were they slowing down?   
  
Alex watched the car in front of him drove off the road and stop.   
  
Why were they stopping?   
  
A feeling of cold insecurity spread inside of him, when he was suddenly faced with a frightening decision to be made. Should he keep going or should he stop the car and confront them?   
  
They hadn't let him come along with them when they had decided to leave Liz's apartment. He knew that they were going to search for her, and he wanted to help. That's what he'd told them. They were, on the other hand, not open to the idea of him participating. It had actually been more or less obvious from the beginning that he was intruding, so he was really pushing it to ask them to be a part of their highly secret search unit.   
  
Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he should have looked for Liz on his own. The problem was that he didn't have the slightest clue to where to begin the search. He had already called Mr. Parker, who still believed that Liz was in Roswell, New Mexico. Alex had to tell a white lie, saying that nothing was wrong. He didn't want to upset Mr. Parker for no reason. He didn't want to tell him that Liz's boss, Mr. Smith, hadn't heard from Liz in five days. Mr. Smith hadn't seen Liz since he sent her to work on a new project downtown. Then there was the bizarre information that Mr. Smith had given Alex about his other employee, Liz's colleague, who also gone missing at about the same time. Maybe he and Liz had gone on some romantic getaway. Maybe Liz just finally wanted to take some time off without any planning ahead and without informing anyone. Just escaping all her duties and responsibilities.   
  
But then there were Liz's new friends, who were acting really weird. Alex had the strong feeling that they knew a lot more about Liz's absence than they were saying; that they might even know where she was, or at least where to look for her.   
  
This suspicious feeling was what made Alex follow the others' car when they hurriedly left the apartment in New York and drove out into the wilderness. Now he was no longer sure that he was doing the right thing. He could still pull out of this. He could just continue past them. But instead he found himself steering his car off the road and slowly easing on the brakes. The need to find his friend and to know what was going on had apparently won over his rational thoughts.   
  
The car slowed down until it came to a complete halt. Slowly, he reached out with his hand and killed the engine. Then he waited.   
  
It felt like several minutes, hours even, passed before the front door opened, closely followed by the passenger door opening and the door behind it. He was still sitting in his seat, seatbelt on, when three figures stepped out of the car. Isabel, and the rude guy, rounded the car and came to stand next to Max. Maria came out last. They lined up beside each other with Maria slightly behind the others and he looked up to meet their eyes. Once again he found himself wondering what he had been thinking when he had decided to follow them… 

------------------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Max! Stop it!"   
Max vaguely registered that someone was pulling him backwards and he instinctively fought against the restraint.   
"Max! Listen to me! You can't go in there! Are you crazy? You could die! You _will_ die!!"   
"Liz is in there!" Max cried out and pulled himself free from his sister's hold.   
"No! Max!!" Isabel went after him again, "_Michael!!_"   
Obviously, Michael had been close by, because he appeared at the exact moment of her frantic cry. He caught hold of Max and held his struggling body in a tight grip.   
"Maxwell! She's dead, Max! If she were in there, she's dead!"   
"_Nooo!!_" Max cried out.   
The warmth was billowing around them and Isabel worriedly looked up. They were standing too close. Walls could fall on them. Windows could explode as a result of the fire. The whole building could explode.   
"Damnit Max!" Michael shouted.   
"Michael, we have to get away from here!!" Isabel screamed with desperation.   
"Liz is alive. I can feel her," Max murmured.   
He and Michael were more or less involved in a fight right now. Michael was trying his best to hold Max back and even had to get help from some non-human abilities, since Max was working hard to get loose. Michael might be taller than Max, but Max was stronger and it seemed as if some unknown power had taken a hold of him.   
  
"Isabel! You gotta help me with him!!" Michael shouted breathlessly.   
Isabel instantaneously took a hold of her brother's arm and summed all the strength that she could muster.   
"No, you're letting her die! You're letting her _die_!!" Max screamed.   
"If she's still in there she won't make it out of there alive. There is no use for you to run in there straight towards your death!" Michael yelled and pulled harder.   
His efforts were wasted though, when he felt Max's resistance end. Going from an inhuman maximum to nothing in the matter of a nanosecond. Isabel lunged forward when Max suddenly stopped trying to move into the other direction towards the burning building. Neither Isabel nor Michael felt the need to at the moment investigate further why Max had stopped resisting them. They barely had the chance to be relieved that he seemed to have come to his senses. Their main concern was to get all of them out of there before the whole thing exploded. 

--------------------------------------------------

  
  
Alex's hand trembled as he grabbed the door handle to yank the door open and he silently cursed himself for being such a wimp. They wouldn't do anything to him. Would they? He was Liz's friend. They wouldn't do anything that could hurt Liz, directly or indirectly. Right…?   
  
His legs were shaking as they made contact with the ground. He slowly straightened up and took a deep breath before meeting their eyes. He quickly came to the decision to focus his eyes more on Isabel than the other two. Max and Michael were just downright scary. They gave a whole new meaning to the phrase 'intimidating'.   
  
He was expecting them to say something, but it seemed as if he was supposed to be the one to utter the first word.   
"Um… hey," he said, trying to sound casual. He winced at the hysterical cheerful note the words were really spoken in.   
"Cut the crap," Michael said. Alex stared at him, getting increasingly convinced that it had been a mistake to step out of bed this morning.   
"Okay," he squeaked. It was intended as a calm agreement.   
"We both know that you've been following us," Michael continued, pushing out the words through clenched teeth, "Why?"   
"I…I…" Alex stuttered nervously, suddenly not remembering at all the answer to that question.   
"I would suggest that you turn your car around and forget about this," Max said. His voice was frightening cold and calm. Alex let his eyes drift to Isabel's face. What he saw reflect on her face before she regained her mask of stone was enough to help him to regain his footing. Isabel was scared. Maybe just as scared as he was. Maybe even more so. Why was she afraid?   
  
"What are you doing out here?" Alex asked, giving himself a mental pat on the back for not letting his voice tremble. He actually sounded pretty calm and collected.   
"I suggest you turn around now," Max said, making it sound as far away from a suggestion as possible.   
"You know where Liz is, don't you?" Alex asked.   
"Hey buddy," Michael said, his voice not sounding very friendly, "Trust me, you don't want to find out what we will do to you if you don't get into that car of yours and drive back to where you came from."   
As Michael took an intimidating step forward, Alex involuntarily took one backwards. His mind was working with high speed, trying to come up with something to get him out of this, _without_ getting into his car and just turn around. He needed to know what had happened to his friend. He had been Liz's only friend for so long and she had been a great friend to him too. He had strong brotherly feelings towards her. He wanted to protect her in any way that he could. If someone had hurt Liz, he would hurt them. No one was allowed to hurt Liz in any way.   
  
Taking a deep breath, and mentally preparing himself for the blow, he spoke, "What is "nîmra"?"   
"_What?!_" Michael exclaimed. His body was suddenly in movement, moving towards Alex. But Isabel stopped him.   
"Where have you heard that?! How do you know about that word?!"   
"Michael! No!" Isabel cried. It was difficult to restrain his strong body.   
"While you were in Liz's bedroom, discussing whatever conspiracy you're involved with, I started to go through Liz's encyclopedia. Then I powered up her computer and began searching the net." He took a deep breath while assessing the expressions on the persons in front of him. "The word doesn't exist. Never has."   
He could see Isabel pale. She looked like she was about to faint. Letting his eyes drift from the first person to the next, Max didn't look so healthy either. Maria was looking shell-shocked, her eyes drifting to Max. The only one with color in his face was Michael, who was red with anger.   
"At least not on Earth…" 

-------------------------------------------------------

  
  
Suddenly he felt a shift in the air. It hit him like a violent tidal wave, leaving him gasping for air. Isabel came to an abrupt halt beside him, eyeing him worriedly.   
"Max?" His pale complexion worried her and for a second she was worried that he might faint. She took a hold of his arm and yanked it to get his attention. "Max!"   
"She's here", Max mumbled.   
Isabel's eyes widened and she caught Michael's equal expression.   
"Can you feel her?" Isabel asked.   
"Yes," Max breathed. His reply was barely audible in the hostile sparkles of the fire eating away at the building in the background.   
  
Then there was movement. He was out of Isabel's hands before she had the chance to react.   
"Where's he…" Isabel began, only to be cut off by Michael's loud shout.   
"Max!"   
Michael went after Max and reached him as he stumbled to his knees. Smoke was now surrounding them, thick and impenetrable, creeping up from all sides, making it almost impossible to see more than a few feet ahead.   
"Max," Michael coughed his name as he crouched down and took a hold of Max's arm, intending to pull him up and get him out of there, when the figure of another person appeared in the smoke.   
  
Liz.

TBC…


	52. Chapter 46

Hi people!

Now I'm sitting in my student room in Australia – on the other side of the world from where I usually sit... Tonight it's the first "cool" night since I got here, so I had the energy to update. 

First of all, I want to thank those of you who have left feedback from the bottom of my heart!! It means so much to me. A special hug to Charisma for leaving feedback on each and every chapter. But everyone's feedback is great. I'm happy just to receive an "I'm reading your story, please post more" or sth like that. Just as long as you in some way let me know that you are reading and are enjoying what you are reading.

Okay, I won't babble anymore. I guess you want to know what's going to happen to Liz. So here it is…

**Chapter 46**   
  
Maria could feel the impending doom vibrate through her body. As she ran past the burning building, she didn't spare it a glance. There was no doubt in her mind that the building was teetering on the brink of disaster. It would not end its last days peacefully dying in the flames. She could feel it in the air. She could smell it. They needed to get out of there. Fast.   
  
Her lungs burned with the poisonous smoke that filled air as she struggled through the dark mists to find the others. The ground was uneven under her feet and she could even feel the heat through the soles of her shoes as she stumbled to the location where she had last seen Max. Her eyes stinging, she spotted movement further ahead.   
"Max! Michael!" she yelled.   
She ran faster, continuing to call the names of her friends. Her pace quickened when she didn't receive an answer. They didn't even acknowledge her.   
  
They were all standing in a circle. Michael, Isabel and Alex. She didn't see Max anywhere though. "Michael! Where's Ma…" Her breathless voice trailed off when Alex stepped to the side and her eyes landed on the two persons on the ground. Max, holding Liz.   
  
And she was glowing. Literally. 

-----------------------------------------------------

  
  
Maria looked up, startled when Max and Isabel simultaneously inhaled sharply. She noticed Michael rising from the armchair out of the corner of her eye.   
"What did you see? Could you reach her?" Michael didn't waste one second to start firing questions at the siblings.   
Isabel slowly sat up on the bed, rubbing her temples. Dreamwalking was still new to her. She rarely used it, only for fun. Often, she used it to find out what people in her school were dreaming about. Sometimes she had even used it to see that her closer friends didn't suspect anything about her otherworldly origin. On the other hand, she had never let anyone really close. The only one who she could honestly call her friend, who was human, was Maria. There had never been anyone else. And she would rather keep it that way.   
  
Next to her, Max bolted up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.   
"Did you talk with her?" Maria asked. She put a hand on his arm, wanting to calm down the obvious feelings of distress surrounding him.   
"She's in danger," Max said. Maria shivered at the sound of his voice. She didn't recognize it. He sounded…detached.   
"Has someone taken her?" Michael asked. "Where is she? Did you find any clues at all where she is?"   
"She's held captive somewhere…" Isabel started, but Max cut her off.   
"They are telling her that we aren't real. They are brainwashing her…"   
Maria's eyes widened with fear. "What?!"   
"Brainwa…" Michael stumbled on the words. It was something they had feared all their lives. A fear that had been as large a part of their lives as their next breath, and yet it felt foreign to actually face it. "Is it the government? The FBI? CIA? Who?"   
Max looked distant. His eyes were fixed on the door, like he was waiting for someone to enter.   
"Is he still here?"   
Maria frowned and unconsciously looked at the door. "Who? Alex?"   
  
Michael started for the door. "I'll take care of him." His angry advance snapped something in place within Max. He stood up and lifted his hand in a halting motion. Michael ripped the door open, only to have it pull out of his grip and slam closed again.   
"What the…" He tried the doorknob again, but when it stubbornly remained in its closed position, his head whipped around to Max. He found his friend with his hand outstretched, directed at the door.   
"Calm down," Max said calmly.   
"But he…" Michael protested, his words tainted with anger.   
"We can't screw this up," Max said. "We have to come up with a cover story. We can't risk that he finds anything out just because he has gotten this close. That is just another reason to make sure he does not suspect anything."   
"What should we say?" Maria asked.   
Isabel bit her lower lip as she looked between her brother and Michael. She knew that her suggestion wouldn't be welcomed, but she had to say it nevertheless. "Maybe we should just tell him the truth."   
  
"_What?!_" Michael exploded.   
Isabel gathered her confidence and raised her head to meet Michael's outraged eyes. "Maybe it's safer to have him with us than against us…"   
"What can he do if he's against us?" Michael said hotly, "He's no threat, so-"   
"Exactly, he's no threat!"   
"Damnit! You know what happened the last time you thought it was a good idea to let someone else into our lives! She was abducted a couple of days ago!"   
Maria watched how Max paled at Michael's outburst. "Michael!"   
"He knows Liz! He's already involved. Maybe he can help-" Isabel's voice quickly rose in volume.   
"Just because he's Liz's friend, doesn't ensure that we can trust-"   
"Maria didn't bolt when we told her, did sh-"   
"_Stop it!_"   
  
Both Isabel and Michael mouths closed and they stared with an expression of surprise mixed with apprehension at the source of the authoritative command.   
"Someone has taken Liz. Probably someone from the government," voice breaking with audible agony, "God knows what they are doing to her right this moment, just because I contacted her."   
Michael's hand dropped from the doorknob, his chest heaving with heavy breaths as a result of the heated argument. Isabel's eyes dropped guiltily to the floor.   
"And all you can do is…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.   
"What do you think we should do, Max?" Maria asked carefully.   
Max stood in silence for a few long seconds before he opened them, a new determination in his eyes. "West. We should go west."   
"West?" Michael asked, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice.   
"That's where Liz is."   
Isabel and Maria stared at him, thousands of questions milling in their heads, but none of them important enough to ask at this moment. Not when time was such an important factor.   
Max answered their main question for them. "I have this…feeling. Like something is pulling me in that direction."   
"And what if you're wrong?" Michael asked.   
"Do you have a better solution?" Maria asked and glared at him to keep him from saying anything else.   
Michael met her eyes and after some seconds of silent battle, he realized that he had been outnumbered. "What should we tell Alex?" he mumbled sourly.   
"What he wants to hear," Max answered. 

-------------------------------------------------------

  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Maria's eyes were transfixed on Liz's body, her pupils contracting in the bright purple light surrounding Liz, like a shield of color.   
"I guess this answers the question about her human status," Michael said.   
Maria turned to look at Alex standing beside her. Everything she expected to see on his face at this moment, he was displaying, and more. Fear, confusion, shock, disbelief… Maria silently watched the emotions play over his face. He looked like he had been hit by a train without even knowing what a train was.   
"Alex?" Maria put a hand on his arm. He took a slow step back from her and her fingers left the material of his shirt. His eyes were fixed on Liz and his mouth was opening and closing as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't decide if he should use the little air he was getting in to breathe or to try to pronounce syllables. Either way, he probably wouldn't be able to say anything comprehensible.   
  
"She's so cold, so cold," Max murmured and Maria turned her head back to Max. Max discarded his jacket and spread it over Liz.   
"Is she okay?" Maria asked.   
"I don't know," Isabel answered. She looked pale in the light of the flames dancing in the background. The fear and guilt were haunting her eyes. She was unable to tear her eyes away from the unresponsive girl.   
"Did you find anyone?" Michael asked and Maria looked at Michael. When her eyes met his the air compressed around her, getting heavier and pressing against her chest. She could feel tears prickling the back of her throat. Could feel her lips stinging with hidden emotion. She shook her head in answer to his question. Her eyes dropped as she tried to compose herself. They had far more important things to concentrate on than her having a breakdown.   
"Hey…" A gentle voice made her look up and she found Michael standing next to her, looking at her with concern in his normally guarded eyes. The first tears fell and her bottom lip started to tremble and she stepped into Michael's warm arms.   
"It just hit you, didn't it?" She nodded against his chest, taking comfort in his protective embrace. Michael always put up this tough exterior, pretending to be an uncaring womanizer. It was only with Maria that he was real. It was only Maria who could anger him until he lost his temper. It was only Maria who made him feel real. And she knew it. She was the only one who had seen the other side of Michael. The side he didn't let anyone else see. They weren't together. They had never kissed or even held hands, but still there was something else there. Something that was perhaps even more important than romantic gestures. Friendship. Trust. Support. Love.   
  
She clung to him and tried to block out the horrors of the last couple of days, for at least a few seconds. The commotion continued around them. Michael followed what was happening, while his hand consolingly threaded through her hair. He watched as Isabel kneeled down to help Max. He watched as she reached out to pull Max's jacket closer around Liz. When the powerful blue streak of light exploded as Isabel's hand connected with the light around Liz and she was thrown three feet through the air, his hand rapidly left Maria's hair. Maria, hearing Isabel's cry of fear, turned around in Michael's arms and her breath caught in her throat as she saw Isabel fell heavily to the ground.   
"Oh my God!" Maria cried.   
Michael moved behind her, running towards Isabel.   
Max looked into the mist, trying to spot his sister. "Isabel!"   
Isabel lifted her head with a groan of pain. Michael fell to his knees beside her. "Is, are you okay?"   
  
Isabel carefully pulled herself up into sitting position, rubbing the back of her head with her hand. "Yeah, I'm fine." There was a strain in her voice and she was pale, but after some quick checking Michael could see that she was okay. She would probably have some bruises tomorrow, but other than that she was only shocked.   
"What happened?" Maria asked, stepping up behind Michael. Her hands were brushing away lingering tears from her cheeks.   
"I… I don't know…" Isabel said. A grimace of pain formed on her face as she started to stand up. Michael reached out and helped her up.   
"It was like she pushed you away," Michael said.   
Isabel rubbed her back. "That's an understatement."   
"Is?"   
Isabel turned to Max, who was now standing up, cradling Liz in his arms. Michael frowned at the sight. Maria voiced the question for him, "How are you able to touch her?"   
Perplexed, Max looked down at the unconscious Liz, dangling loosely in his arms. "I…I… I don't know."   
"That…that thing that she's emitting is some kind of shield," Michael said, "Why is she letting you touch her?"   
  
"What are you talking about?"   
Three faces turned to Alex, who uttered his first words since they had found Liz.   
"Who the hell are you?" His eyes were darkening with anger, his mouth thinning out, "What have you done to her? You have done something to her!"   
"Hey, listen man," Michael snorted, "_She's_ the one who's purple!"   
"Alex…" Isabel said, reaching out a tentative hand towards Alex. Alex wasn't hearing her. The protective streak within him kicked in full force, and it was giving him one clear message: get Liz away from these people.   
Max instinctively cradled Liz's cold body closer as Alex took a step forward. One of Max's hands stretched out in the air, dangling there in indecision. His heart had told him to protect Liz against anything, but the rational part of his mind stopped him from letting his powers have free reign. His mind knew that Alex wasn't a threat, but still there was something imprinted in him to not let anyone near Liz. She was hurt, completely vulnerable to anyone who wished her harm. He had failed her once, but he wouldn't do it again.   
  
Max took a step back, partly to stop Alex from trying to separate Liz from him, but mostly to prevent what he suspected would happen. Seeing what he had seen, Alex still tried to defeat the forces of nature. His mind wasn't following rational routes any longer. In the last six hours, he had heard and seen things he could never even begin to imagine. The only action his mind could sort out right now was to get Liz as far away from here as possible, and then pretend that none of this had ever happened.   
  
Isabel stepped forward to prevent Alex from doing the same thing she did, but she was too late. Alex reached for Liz's arm, intending to pull her out of Max's grip. With a cry of pain, the light flickered violently around Liz, and Alex was catapulted away from her. Isabel impeded his landing and together they fell to the ground, Alex groaning loudly in pain. Isabel rolled on her side and turned around to see if he was all right. He was grabbing his right hand with his left one with deep lines of pain on his forehead and around his mouth.   
"Alex!" She tried to get his attention, but he only rolled away from her.   
"Get away from me!" he yelled.   
Isabel's hand hung in the air as she looked into Alex's face and saw just what she had feared all her life: someone looking at her with fear and…repulsion.   
"Please, Alex," her voice broke as she pleaded with him for understanding, "Let me look at your hand. You're hurt, Alex."   
  
A loud crack interrupted Isabel and they all turned to see a massive iron bar hanging on with its last strength. The bolts in one end of the bar were being melted in the thousand degrees heat and it was frighteningly close to let go and fall down.   
"We have to get out of here," Maria cried.   
Isabel looked at Alex in indecision as the others started running for the car.   
"Isabel, come on!!" Michael shouted.   
"Alex… Please, come with us," Isabel pleaded. Alex looked her right into the eyes. He didn't know what was worse. To be abandoned out in nowhere, where there was still no sign of any fire brigades, in the middle of the night several miles away from any living sign, or to step into the same car as people who could break in anywhere and weren't shocked by the fact that a girl was glowing purple.   
  
There was an earth-shattering rumble and Isabel's head once again whipped around towards the warehouse. A large part of the building collapsed under her terrified gaze.   
"Alex…" Her eyes back on Alex, she wanted him to see that she wasn't dangerous. That she wasn't repulsive and different, as his eyes were accusing her of being. For some reason, the need to have him accept her was greater than ever before. Maybe it was because he was the first person who didn't know already know her, to learn that she was different. Maybe it was because his reaction fulfilled all her fears and insecurities. Or maybe it was something else.   
"Please…come with us. You can get off in the next town. Just please…"   
"Isabel!!"   
Isabel didn't let Alex go with her eyes, even though the urgency of Michael's shout and the threatening sparking of fire behind her, told her of how vital it was to get out of here as soon as possible. Alex searched her face and Isabel stopped breathing for a second. It felt like he was looking right through her. Scanning her insides to see if she meant what she was saying, if he should trust her words instead of his own eyes.   
  
His voice was breathless, but still determined when he answered her, "Next town, okay?"   
"Yeah," Isabel nodded, relief spreading inside of her. They rose in unison and started running for the car, not turning their heads even once when they heard the deafening sound of the warehouse collapsing behind them and small explosions echoing in the darkness.   
  
TBC...


	53. Chapter 47

_Hi everyone!   
  
Okay, a long time has passed since my last update and I apologize for that. Things have been a little hectic with me flying to another country (at the other end of the world) and commencing my veterinarian studies. In addition, I've been busy with one of my other fics "Love by Any Other Name" since I just started to have some inspiration for that one. I took the chance at writing down every idea before they disappeared again.   
  
So, I'm really really sorry for leaving you hanging like this. I'm not sure that I even have any readers left, but for those of you who are still around – THANK YOU!   
  
I was thinking that maybe it would be a good idea if I gave you a brief summary of what's happened, just to refresh your memory. I usually suck at summaries, because I always have troubles keeping it short and concise. I'm going to give it another try today.  
  
Okay, this is what has happened. Liz Parker was living in New York. She had lived there most of her life. Her mother died when she was young, stepping out in the street in front of a bus. All her life, Liz has known that she was different. She didn't have any friends growing up. She was a prodigy. She could speak a lot of different languages and was always considered very intelligent and mature by teachers.   
  
Moving to present time… Liz gets attacked by someone trying to rape her. She is saved by a mysterious man who disappears just as quickly as he appeared, after making sure that she is safe again. The mystery person was of course Max Evans. Max is not of this Earth (no surprise there) and he is haunted with premonitions about people ending up in "bad" situations. One day he just starts dreaming about this dark-haired, beautiful woman (guess who) and he goes to New York to help her. The premonitions don't end though and soon Max and Liz meet, even though Max tries his best to prevent it, in order to protect Liz.   
  
Weird things are happening the more time Max and Liz are spending together. There is an almost instinctive need between them. And this need catapults weird things to happen. Like Liz getting a fever the day after Max and her first kiss. The fever is gone the next day. But during her fever-distorted dreams, she hears voices speaking a language that isn't English. Dreams have always haunted Liz during her life. Nightmares tainted with the guilt of her mother's death, but also nightmares of losing someone she loved more than life itself. Of being pregnant and having the child ripped away from her before it was even born.   
  
This is where I came to the conclusion that I had confused my readers enough, so I started to throw in interludes. The interludes were of another culture, on another planet, several million light years away. A short tale of how a princess fell in love with her personal protector, their love forbidden and hence kept secret. The story ends tragically with both the princess and the protector being killed.   
  
As the interludes play out, the story set on Earth in present time still runs. There Max and Liz are getting closer, but not close enough, since Max is still unwilling to share his secret of his origins with Liz. Liz feels that he doesn't trust him and she is not able to give him her trust if it isn't returned. So after spending a couple of days with Max in his home town Roswell, Liz flies back to New York.   
  
Liz's colleague, David Anderson, at work has set out to catch the unattainable Ms. Parker in his nest. The fact that she didn't fall for his charms, as the majority of women did, angered him, but also challenged him to "win" her. So he set out a personal hunt to get Liz interested in him. Unfortunately, his attempts went unanswered and something snaps. When Liz comes alone to look over a house for future building prospect, David arrives and tries to rape her. Something happens when Liz tries to defend herself. David rolls away, in pain, leaving Liz confused and terrified. Not knowing what to do, she calls the police. But the people arriving short thereafter are not the police. They sedate her and she is brought to a facility out in the middle of nowhere. There she is told that she is committed because of a sleeping disorder. A serious case of insomnia, leaving her in a comatose state for several days. This would mean that she never actually met Max, Maria, Isabel and Michael in reality, but only in her dreams.   
  
Her heart and mind doesn't allow this "truth" that the men at the facility are providing her with, to settle. And as soon as she starts resisting, they start the test, without anesthetics.   
  
In the meantime, Max and co is trying to find Liz. They are finally led to an abandoned warehouse. At their arrival, the warehouse is on fire, and the chances of finding anyone alive are miniscule. They find Liz though, in torn clothes a couple of meters away from the burning warehouse, her body scratched and showing some lighter burns. What's weird is that she's glowing. A purple light is surrounding her and when the others try to touch her they are repelled. For some reason (hmmm), Max is not repelled and they get her back to the car.   
  
During the whole search for Liz, Alex plays a smaller role, but it's getting more significant. Alex was Liz best friend from university. He's the only close friend she has ever had and they mean a lot to each other. So when Liz ends up missing and the people looking for her are acting really weird, Alex doesn't hesitate much before deciding to follow them. So he's along for the trip as well.   
  
So, that's where we are right now… In a car, out on the highway someplace out in the middle of nowhere…_   
  
  
  
  
  
**Chapter 47**   
  
  
A silence had fallen over the interior of the moving vehicle. The only sound to be heard was the humming of the car as it was moving along the empty highways. Neither the sound of the engine nor the meeting of an occasional car was noticed by the passengers completely immersed in their own thoughts.   
  
Alex was sitting at the back, staring out the window. He had very conflicted feelings and thoughts about everything that had happened lately.   
  
Next town.   
  
That's what they had agreed upon. He turned his head slightly to inconspicuously look at Isabel in his peripheral vision. Since they had all gotten into the car, Alex had had the chance to get to know the others more, just by observing how they were handling the situation. Especially Max and how he took care of Liz. Something told Alex that Max wouldn't do anything to hurt Liz. Not intentionally anyway. And that he would do anything to keep her safe. They were a lot alike that way, Alex and Max. Their main goal right now was to protect Liz. And they would stop at nothing to do it. Which was probably the reason why Alex was still riding in the car along with some strangers with very questionable backgrounds and probably the reason to why he hadn't jumped off in that "next town", when they had gotten some gas. He kept telling himself that the only reason he was still here was because he couldn't just let some strangers take Liz away in the night. The thought of abandoning her like that was chilling him. But his heart told him of other reasons too.   
  
Isabel looked at Alex out of the corner of her eye. For some reason, which she didn't quite dare to think any further about right now, he was still with them. He hadn't jumped off. She knew that he was only looking out for Liz, but there was something inside of her rejoicing over the fact that he was still here. His presence calmed her even though it scared her to some degree as well. There was this unexplainable need to tell him everything about herself. Everything. Green slimy details and everything. She had never felt that need to tell anyone about that before besides her mother. The really absurd thing was that didn't even know Alex and all the signs she was getting was telling her that he really didn't want anything to do with her.   
  
But still, he hadn't gotten off at the first chance he had gotten.   
  
Maria caught the look Isabel gave Alex and inwardly she smiled. There was definitely something going on between Isabel and Alex, even though Alex wasn't at the most cooperative level at the moment. Which was fully understandable. She had been shocked to find out that her friends were not human and they had been her friends many years by then. Alex had no reason to stay. He had no reason to believe anything they were telling him. He didn't know that Max, Michael and Isabel were just like any other human, just a tad more insecure and with a stronger need to feel loved and accepted. She had never met anyone that was more loyal. On the other hand, their loyalty could mean the difference between life and death, so maybe it wasn't too strange that they stuck by each other through thick and thin. She knew that she could always count on them. They had always been there for her. Her thoughts wandered to the sacrifice Max had done when he had healed her two years ago. That's the only time he had gone against that loyalty to his friends. He had followed his heart and saved her.   
  
Maria looked at Max sitting in the front seat and her heart twitched with compassion and pain. She had never seen him more worried. He was not in the world of living any longer; he was somewhere else, focusing completely on Liz. Maria knew how much Liz meant to him; maybe she was the only one who had really been able to see just how much. And seeing the devastated state Max was in right now was enough to break her heart. With a tired sigh, she leaned back in the seat, squeezed in between Alex and Isabel, and closed her eyes. This was going to be a long night.   
  
Michael looked at Max to his right. Liz was curled up in Max's arms, and if it hadn't been for the purple light Liz was still radiating, Michael wouldn't be able to tell where one ended and one began. He glanced at Maria in the backseat, and, noticing that her eyes were closed, he sighed. It felt like the weight of an elephant was pressing down on his chest. Was this how it felt to have responsibility? He was afraid. So frightened that he would do something wrong, now that everyone seemed to depend on him. He looked at Max again and for about the one hundredth and fiftieth time drew the conclusion that he couldn't count on Max to help out. Max was as lost to the world, like a dead man. He wondered what he was going to do. He needed to have a plan. He glanced in the rearview mirror again at Maria. She was the only one in the group who seemed really there and she was probably the worst to depend upon in emergency situations. But looking at her now she seemed reasonably calm. He snorted softly and shook his head to himself. She never ceased to amaze him. She had to be the most unpredictable person he knew. She could freak out if the rain forest was getting burned down but when it came to her own safety she was cool as a cucumber. That reasoning he didn't understand. What made rain forests so important? He stole another look in the mirror and was a little surprised to find Maria's eyes looking back into his. He quickly averted his eyes back to the road, pretending that it was raining. Maria leaned forward between the seats, and as if hearing his worries, she asked, "So, what's the plan?"   
  
Michael gave her a grunt in response.   
"You _do_ have a plan, don't you?" Maria asked pointedly.   
"I didn't exactly foresee this happening," Michael snapped.   
"Michael," Maria said softly, "I'm not accusing you of anything. If you need my help, just ask."   
Michael pressed his lips together. He felt like he should be able to handle this on his own. But he had been completely unprepared. Even though Max wasn't the official leader of the group, it was always Max who had come with the wisest decisions. Michael had just taken for granted that Max would always do that. Michael had more or less leaned back and laid his feet on the table. Max being so distant was as frightening as it was unexpected.   
"You have any ideas?" Michael mumbled, ashamed to have to ask.   
"Maybe we should stop somewhere," Maria answered him.   
"Yeah, that's my thought too," Michael said quickly.   
"I think we need to lay Liz down or something. She doesn't look so good."   
"That purplish light looks a bit freaky," Michael admitted, looking at the light purple glow surrounding Liz.   
"Hey." Michael gave a startle when Maria's placed her hand gently on his shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll get through this."   
"How are you so calm?" Michael asked her, frowning at this very un-Maria behavior. She had been freaking out when they had been at the warehouse, which on one hand was totally understandable since it had been a scary environment. But now she was unnaturally calm. He frowned suspiciously and looked at her in the mirror.   
"It doesn't help to freak out," Maria said. "Michael, Max can't help us right now. It's the rest of us who has to help him for a change."   
"Don't I know it," Michael murmured.   
"Let's just take this one step at the time," Maria said.   
Michael turned half-way in his seat. "Okay. Who the hell are you and where's Maria?"   
"Michael," Maria said sternly, "Watch the road!!"   
  
"Please, don't start," Isabel moaned beside Maria.   
"Isabel, do you have a plan? What should we do?" Maria asked, turning towards Isabel.   
Isabel rubbed her forehead tiredly. "We should probably stop somewhere like you said."   
"How about there?" Michael said, pointing at a bed and breakfast to the left of the road.   
  


-----------------------------------------------------------------

  
  
  
Michael jumped out of the car to open the door for Max and Liz. Max gave him a slight nod of gratitude before returning his attention to Liz. He gently cradled her closer to his body and began to move out of the car.   
  
Isabel looked over at Alex tentatively as they walked out of the car. "Are you okay?"   
Alex met her eyes and answered seriously, "I'm not going anywhere."   
Isabel didn't know if she should be happy about that or not. She gave him a timid smile.   
Max stood up with Liz and carried her like she weighed nothing.   
"I'll get us a room," Maria volunteered and disappeared.   
Alex started moving, somewhat awkwardly, after Max and Isabel.   
  
The room was fixed in a minute and Maria led them to the room with the numbers matching that of the key. They stepped into the room, containing a dresser, two chairs, a table and a double bed.   
The first thing Michael did as he stepped into the room was to clear his throat uncomfortably. "Uhm… I'm hoping that we aren't staying over. It's not really enough space for me."   
"I don't know," Maria said, her statement making everyone except Alex look at Max expectantly, out of reflex. He was just lowering Liz on the bed, brushing some strands of hair from her forehead.   
"Max?" Isabel questioned.   
Max straightened up, his hand lingering at Liz's unconscious form. His eyes never left her face, and he answered, "I have to… I don't…" He looked up and met Michael's gaze, and they all saw Max's whole demeanor change in front of their eyes.   
"Michael, we need to check out which routes we can take. We need to get back to Roswell, the sooner the better."   
Michael just nodded, slightly taken aback by Max's sudden leadership qualities floating to the surface.   
"Isabel, can you check the radio and see if they report anything from the warehouse? If there is anything suspicious you have to tell me."   
"Sure," Isabel said, glad that she had something to do. Alex's looks were unnerving her slightly.   
"Maria, could you call Liz's father? Liz has been gone for some time now; he has to know that something is wrong. Oh, and while you're on it, call Liz's boss as well."   
"Okay," Maria nodded. She worriedly looked over Liz. "How is she doing?" She wasn't dead, that much they could all see by the energy field surrounding her.   
Max turned his eyes back to Liz, lowering himself on his knees by the bed. "I don't know," he whispered, the worry penetrating his every word with a strong acidic taste. "I don't know what's wrong."   
Maria stepped up to him and gave his shoulder a consoling squeeze. "She'll be okay, Max. I have a feeling."   
Michael grunted at Maria's last comment before leaving the room. Maria glared at his disappearing back before giving Max a soft reassuring smile and moving to the phone. Alex stayed where he were, watching Liz like a hawk. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

  
  
"Hey Alex, you want something to eat?" Maria asked.   
Alex yawned and nodded. He was getting really tired of sitting in this chair. But he it was still with some reluctance that he considered the aspect of leaving Liz alone with Max. They others were still away and Maria had just finished her phone calls. Max was lying on the bed next to Liz, asleep, with his arm wrapped around her. The glowing purple light had lessened to a soft, almost non-existent, white glow. No more than an inch in diameter surrounding the outer surface of her body. Alex took one last look before surrendering to the grumblings of hunger in his stomach. "Sure, but can we bring it back in here to eat?"   
Maria smiled knowingly. "You don't have to worry about those two. Max is harmless."   
"I really want to believe you."   
"Just follow me," Maria said, "I have something to tell you that might change your mind."   
Alex was unable to hide the curiosity on his face and rose, languidly stretching his stiff limps. "Okay, but only if it doesn't take too long."   
"Deal."   
  
They disappeared out the door, leaving Max and Liz alone in the hotel room.   
  
  
_Feet were thudding against the green ground. The sunlight was tickling her face, making her heart sprint in happiness. She could feel the soft warm breeze against her rosy cheeks and the softness of the grass under her bare feet.   
  
Running.   
  
She saw a butterfly pass by her face and a radiant smile bloomed out on her face. She felt free. Free like a bird. Like a butterfly.   
  
Running.   
  
Running over the green carpet, with bird song in her ears.   
  
Her steps faltered in contemplation as she saw a figure at the end of the hill. It was still; the clothes cladding its body moved slightly in the wind. Her eyes squinted and her forehead furrowed in concentration when she desperately tried to see who it was. Her heart already knew, but her mind was still suspicious. Her feet were already picking up the pace, her heart already matching the newly awaken bouncing in her steps.   
  
Her smile widened as his eyes became more detailed and a happy soft giggle left her lips. He was smiling too, watching her come closer.   
  
Running.   
  
His eyes widened, opening up his warm embrace for her. She had never run as fast. She had missed him. She had missed him so much. Her heart almost exploded with all emotions when she closed in on him, before she threw herself in his arms and the familiar safety, contentment and relief spread itself through her with the warmth of his secure arms closing around her.   
  
She burrowed her face in his shirt, nuzzling her nose against the bare skin of his neck, letting his scent fill her once again. She hadn't forgotten it. She had just lost it for a while.   
  
He kissed the top of her head, before angling her face up towards his. Her breath hitched in her throat when his eyes met hers and she felt the tears build inside of her, wanting to break out. He gently cradled her face between his warm strong hands, his thumbs softly caressing her flushed cheeks, and ever so slowly he lowered his head face towards hers. He had no power of it. The forces moving between them were greater than they would ever know. His lips softly touched her, barely making contact, like the touch of the wings of the butterfly, which was sitting on a flower somewhere in the meadow. Her eyes closed at the contact, inhaling his taste, his touch, his caress. Him.   
  
"Am I dead?" she whispered, her eyes still closed.   
"No," he whispered back, before his lips moved to hers again. The softness of that kiss moved her, reached into the deepest parts of her essence. It was strong, passionate, yet still comforting and tender. Like feathers caressing her soul.   
  
Their lips reluctantly parted as the need for air overtook them and she looked up at him. "But you…you died."   
She could feel the motion of his thumb against her cheek like he was shooting fires of pleasure into her exact nerve endings. He smiled sadly. "So did you."   
  
  
Her breath caught in her throat as the surroundings around her started to change. The green fresh colors turned gray, the red, blue and yellow turned black. Then it started to melt; to blend. The trees blending together, forming concrete. The softness under her feet transformed into hardness.   
"Nooo…" she whispered as she felt, sooner than saw, him start to dissolve into particles. Disappear into nothingness in her arms. Her eyes quickly moved to him. He was now translucent, but his eyes were shining bright. Shining with never-ending love. Love for her.   
"Don't leave," she pleaded, fresh tears of despair running down her cheeks.   
"Don't forget."   
His voice was merely a whisper, carried by the wind, as he disappeared into the darkness that was spreading around her. And suddenly urgency invaded her senses. Her heart started to beat erratically inside her chest, wanting to make her run. She knew that she had to run. She had to hurry. She turned and ran. Her bare feet hit the hard ground, sharp pebbles sunk into the soles of her feet, tearing away the skin layers, leaving trails of blood behind her. Her long hair hung heavily against her back, some lighter strands getting caught in the wind, while the other strands were fueled with water from the surrounding mist.   
  
Run.   
  
She needed to hurry. Hurry.   
  
She felt like she was flying and suddenly her stomach jerked as if being pulled with suction. And then there was baby cries. Screams. And a bright light hit her eyes. She could feel the coldness against her skin. Her bare skin. And she soon realized that it was her voice she was hearing. It was she who was crying.   
  
Big hands took her and wrapped her up. Old, wrinkled hands, filled with the lines of age and wisdom.   
"Welcome, Aliandra. Welcome to this world."   
  
Aliandra.   
  
She could hear his voice in her head as she was placed against someone's warm chest.   
  
Don't forget.   
  
She could feel the weakness in the heart under her head, and she knew that the person at whose chest she was resting was dying.   
  
And then she was pulled free again. The air was being sucked from her lungs and she was thrown through space and time. Through vacuum and eternity.   
  
She was sitting on the floor. Looking down, she saw pink flowers on a dress, where tanned legs were sticking forward with white stockings and white sandals. She looked up around her and it didn't take her long to realize where she was. And she knew what she had done. She had forgotten. But now she was starting to remember.   
  
She turned her head to the left, knowing what she would find there. A piece of paper.   
"Mommy! Look what I've painted!"   
Her mother turned around, her bright eyes smiling as she crouched next to the paper.   
"Oh, that's beautiful, honey," she said and pointed on the two children that the little girl had painted with such accuracy. A boy and a girl. "Is that a boy from school?"   
The little girl bit her lower lip and smiled secretively. "No. His name is Zan and he just came back."   
She remembered the confusion on her mother's face with painful clarity. It was when she had felt him emerge from the pods. When she had felt him being reborn. When she had felt him coming alive at the back of her head.   
  
The day it all began. All over again._   
  
  
TBC...


	54. Chapter 48

_**Hi everyone! I apologize for not being able to update in awhile and I don't have much to give you now either, but at least it's one chapter and I'll continue to write on this story as soon as I complete my other story – which I've been writing on for, well it must be about three years. So it really needs to be finished off. Thank you so much for your patience!**_

_**Hugs,**_

_**Jo**_

**Chapter 48**

"So," Alex said, looking at Isabel out of the corner of his eye. "You are not like…uhm…other people?"  
Isabel scratched at a stone protruding from the ground with her shoe, and answered, with guilt in her voice, "No."  
"So," Alex said again, "What are you? I mean, what do you do? I mean, what makes you so different from others? I mean-"  
Isabel looked up at him, the unusual mixture of fear and amusement on her face. "What _do_ you mean really?"  
Alex sighed in frustration, raking his hand through his hair, making it stand up in all directions. Isabel couldn't help but think that it looked incredibly cute, before she stopped her line of thinking, admonishing herself for even feeling the slightest feeling towards this…this… human.  
"What makes you so different?" Alex said.  
By habit, Isabel looked around herself. They were out in the open street. There weren't any people nearby, but you never knew who was listening.  
"Not here," Isabel said.  
"Not-"   
"Let's wait until we get to the hotel room," Isabel interrupted.  
"Oh, okay," Alex said, following Isabel's eyes and looking around him. He still didn't know what he was still doing here. He kept telling himself it was because he didn't want to leave Liz alone, but another truth was making itself more and more apparent. The Amazon woman next to him intrigued him and he wanted to know more about her. She scared him to death, but still he was interested. It was weird. That's the only way he could describe it.

Isabel and Michael had met up with Maria and Alex at the diner, just as Maria and Alex had ordered. They were just about to return to the room, since Alex didn't feel too comfortable with leaving Liz out of his view for too long, when Maria received a phone call from her mother. Michael, not wanting to leave her alone, told Isabel and Alex to go back without them. That's how Alex ended up in Isabel's company, his hands sweating, unsure if it was because of fear, nervousness or just good old hormones. After all, he was walking next to an incredibly beautiful woman, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. That was enough to make his knees shake.

"So, uhm…" Alex nervously chewed on the inside of his cheek, trying to come up with something to say to break the silence.  
"You always start your sentences like that?" Isabel asked.  
Alex's mouth snapped shut and he looked at her in confusion. "Like what?"   
"With a word that doesn't mean anything. Just filling space. Like 'so'."   
Alex scratched his forehead. "Uhm… I guess. Perhaps."  
Isabel just raised an eyebrow and stepped up to the door, discovering that it was locked. And she didn't have a key.  
"Alex, do you have a key?" she asked.  
"Maria has one," Alex answered.  
"Ohkay," Isabel said slowly. She raised her hand and knocked loudly on the door.  
No reply.  
She hesitated some about what to do, before putting her hand over the lock and quickly looking around her.  
"What are you-"  
Alex voice was cut off when he saw the bright light emitting from Isabel's hand and he heard a click. The next second, Isabel was opening the door.  
"What was- was- You did- what-" Alex started to stutter, his eyes following Isabel's hand when it was opening the door, the light now gone. His voice trailed off when he heard voices inside the room. Isabel's sudden still figure told him that Isabel had heard them too.

The voices of Maria and Michael bickering drifted through the door that had been left ajar after Alex, just seconds later.  
"…makes absolutely no sense at all."  
"Whatever, Maria."  
"No, this isn't just one of your stupid hockey games we're talking about. It's- Oh…"  
Michael frowned when Maria suddenly stopped and quickly walked up behind her. "What is…it?"  
Looking over her shoulder, his eyes quickly made an assessment of the scene in front of him. Alex and Isabel were standing next to them; Alex was alternating between looking at Isabel and looking towards the double bed, where Maria's and Isabel's complete attention was directed. 

Michael couldn't understand a word. But the words filling the room were strangely familiar. Liz and Max were talking to each other. They were both lying on their sides, Max's hand draped over Liz's waist and hers resting against his chest, their faces close together. But they weren't looking at each other. Their eyes were closed and they appeared to be sleeping. If it hadn't been for the fact that their mouths were moving and were forming unearthly words, you could easily assume that they were in fact sleeping.

"What the hell?" Michael murmured.  
Isabel looked up at him, discovering first now that he had entered the room. "Michael! What's happening?"  
"You tell me," Michael mumbled.  
"Do you understand what they are saying?" Maria whispered. She didn't know what she was whispering. It just felt appropriate.  
Michael slowly shook his head, his eyes glued to the couple. "I... it's like…"  
"It's like I understand the meaning, from the melody of the language, but I can't translate specific words," Isabel said quietly.  
"Exactly," Michael agreed, paling more and more with every passing second.   
Maria looked at him worriedly. "Michael?"  
"How do they know that language?" Isabel asked.  
"Okay, could someone let me in on what's happening here?" Maria asked.   
Michael glanced at Alex, before leaning towards Maria and whispering the truth, which both Isabel and he knew instinctively, in her ear, so that only she could hear. "It's our language. Our _alien_ language."  
Maria's eyes widened and her mouth fell open. "It's…? Are you serious?"   
Michael nodded, his eyes once again moving back to Max and Liz.  
"But how do you-"  
"We just do," Isabel answered.  
"What are they saying?" Maria asked.  
Michael frowned in concentration, and then he shook his head disappointed, with a frustrated sigh. "I don't know what they are saying, just that they are sad… and afraid."  
"Why?" Maria whispered. "Is something happening to Liz?"  
"I don't think so," Isabel said.

Silence lowered itself over them and Alex looked in confusion back and forth between the persons. "Uhm… what's going on?"  
Three pairs of eyes turned to look at him, flashes of surprise in everyone's eyes. They had completely forgotten about his presence.   
"Should we wake Max up?"  
Everyone looked at Isabel, who was trying to divert the attention back from Alex's question, before he heard something that might make him run away.  
"If you can wake him up without touching him, be my guest," Michael mumbled. The purple light was still covering both of them and he definitely didn't want to be the one to try to break through that force field.  
"Otherwise we have to stay here and _wait_ for him to wake up," Isabel mumbled, but she didn't move into Max's direction.  
Maria looked between Isabel and Michael, reading their insecurities and sighed with resignation. "For God's sake! You guys are the ones with powers and you are scared shitless." Quickly moving up to the bed, she reached out with her hand, something that propelled Michael into action. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.  
"Are you crazy?" he hissed. "You saw what happened to Isabel when she touched Liz earlier. And you're only human! Think about what that contact could mean to your body."  
"What do you mean 'only human'?" Alex asked, but everyone just ignored him.  
Michael stared into Maria's stubborn eyes and realized that either he had to do it or she would.  
"Fine," he muttered, turned around and clapped his hands over Max's head.   
Maria jumped to sigh in defeat. "Is that always your best way to wake up people, Michael? Maybe you should try another method."  
Michael shot her a glare, before refocusing his attention on Max. "Hey! Max!! Wake up!!" He emphasized his words with the clapping of his hands.  
When Max didn't stir, Michael took a deep breath before reaching out to touch him.  
This time it was Maria's turn to stop him. "Wait, Michael. Maybe we shouldn't-"  
"Okay, are we staying here forever?" Isabel asked behind them.

Michael removed Maria's fingers from his wrist with his free hand and with one final look into her eyes he touched Max. He could feel Maria's sharp intake of air in anticipation next to him. But nothing happened. He felt a tingle in his fingertips, but he wasn't thrown across the room or electrocuted in any way. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, reminding him of just how afraid he had really been. His hand tightened around Max's arm, shaking him lightly. When Max didn't respond, his motions became more adamant. Why couldn't they wake them up?

TBC…


End file.
